iPad mini accessories ready months before launch

Apple hasn't announced an iPad mini yet, but according to a report in AllThingsD, accessory manufacturing is already booming in Asia. Topeka analyst Brian White says accessory makers have been ramping up production for the iPad mini, with some starting to produce accessories as early as September.

White said that, during his tour of Asia, "we uncovered over 20 suppliers that showed us accessories for the iPad Mini." He added that "some already have the accessories boxed, labeled and ready for order." Several of these manufacturers showed White a dummy model of the iPad mini that "fit our hands like a glove."

Though some analysts are bearish on a mini iPad, White believes it will be a hit. He predicts Apple will sell between 5 million and 7 million iPad mini tablets in the current quarter. Eventually, he expects the mini to outsell the 9.7-inch iPad.