Marco Arment, the developer behind Instapaper, has found two new iPad models in his app logs: one iPad2,5 and one iPad2,6. He believes these models could be the rumored iPad mini.
iPad2,1, iPad2,1, and iPad2,3 are the original Wi-Fi, GSM, and CDMA models of the iPad 2. iPad2,4 is the updated (32nm die-shrunk) 16GB Wi-Fi iPad 2 that is being sold alongside the iPad 3.
The iPad2,5 and iPad2,6 could be updated versions of GSM and CDMA iPad 2; however, Arment thinks it's more likely that these are iPad mini models.
The much more likely explanation is that iPad2,5 and iPad2,6 are the new "iPad Mini" in Wi-Fi and GSM, and I haven't recorded the likely iPad2,7 CDMA version yet. If so, this suggests that the iPad Mini is, effectively, an iPad 2: an A5 with 512 MB of RAM and enough GPU power to drive the Gruber Display, but not a Retina Display.
But, the rumoured 'iPad Mini' will obviously receive a smaller screen, therefore requiring less processing power to power the retina display. So it may still be possible for the 'iPad Mini' to revive the highly anticipated Retina Display.
Keep telling yourself that. Apple NEVER gives a 1st Gen product all the fanciest features. It will be a small iPad 2 and the second gen will more than likely contain a better processor with retina. So your wrong. And the thought behind that is
Tim Cook thinks to himself "why would we sell a great iPad Mini, when we could sell the bad version first, at the same cost and then next year sell the real one?"
I can see where your train if thought is veering towards, but apple already offer two separate iPad models, the iPad 2 and the 'new iPad'. The new iPad has a retina display to bring itself on level par with both its current generation iPhone and iPod touch devices - both are boasting the retina display - so, where would apple stand to offer its third mobile device which is basically just the same as the iPad 2, just with a smaller screen. Although I fully understand and acknowledge your point I think it would just be a massive hole in Apple's market. Offering the 'iPad Mini' with a Gruber Display would steer customers towards the 3rd generation iPad thus making the Mini a pointless waste of Apple's many billion dollars.