The existence of a smaller version of the iPad hasn’t even been confirmed by Apple yet, but here is something fresh from the rumor mill in Japan: according to a report published in The Nikkei today, KDDI is currently “finalizing a deal” under which the company will start offering the “iPad Mini” from November.
So far, rival SoftBank has been the sole 3G service provider for the iPad in Japan. The country’s third largest carrier also monopolized the domestic iPhone market until Apple tied up with KDDI, too, in October last year.
One year later, it looks like history repeats itself, but this time with a tablet.
If the Nikkei report is to be believed, KDDI asked Apple to sell the current generation of the iPad in Japan earlier this year as well, but the deal fell through.
The paper is not ruling out the possibility that SoftBank will offer the iPad Mini along with KDDI.
As a reaction to the rumor, KDDI stock rose today at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, while shares of SoftBank fell.
Serkan Toto