Matthew Lynley

Apple's Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet smaller than the current iPad — the so-called “iPad Mini” — that’s destined to compete with Google's and Amazon’s new tablets, according to a new report in the Wall Street Journal.

It’s smaller than the current 9.7-inch iPad and will have a lower-resolution display — meaning the screen will look less “sharp” — compared with Apple’s existing tablet, according to that article. The tablet’s screen will be about 7.85 inches long diagonally, the report says.