iPad mini renderings offer best look yet at rumored tablet

Martin Hajek, who in June set the media all atwitter with his photorealistic renderings of the iPhone 5, has released a new batch of illustrations for Apple's so-called "iPad mini."

While not placed in a "real-life" setting, as his iPhone 5 renderings were, the iPad mini concepts are reminiscent of product shots seen on Apple's website, showing front, back and side views of the rumored device.

The classic black-bezeled design with bare aluminum back looks to be a dead ringer for previous purported leaks of the tablet's shell. If the renderings are close to Apple's final product, the iPad mini's thin side bezels lean less toward a shrunken-down version of its big brother than a sized-up iPod.

From the top, the rear-facing camera and mic are clearly seen, as well as the headphone jack, the flex cable of which was supposedly leaked earlier on Thursday.

On the bottom is a port for Apple's new Lightning connector, as well as the relocated speaker grills first seen in alleged engineering samples in July.

Perhaps most interesting of Hajek's designs is the colored rendering, a take on the new iPod touch's metallic blue finish, giving a glimpse at what the tablet may look like if Apple decides to add colorways to the product line.

As with all iPhones and iPads made to this date, none have shipped with color options other than black and white. Recently, the lack of color choices was slammed in a Nokia ad promoting the company's new Lumia 920 smartphone.

Finally, Hajek offers an iPhone 5-inspired version of the purported tablet, with what appears to be a black anodized aluminum shell.

According to The Wall Street Journal, production of Apple's small form factor tablet has already begun, and the company is widely expected to announce the product sometime in October ahead of the lucrative holiday season.