Apple’s Taiwanese and Chinese component manufacturers have begun punching out iPad Minis, according to folk the Wall Street Journal insists are in a position to know.

The moles - we think Apple PR, covertly building coverage momentum in mainstream and business media ahead of the small tablet’s formal unveiling - confirm that the device will sport a 7.85in display and that it will have a lower screen resolution than the iPad 3’s 2048 x 1536 panel.

Past rumours have pointed to a 1024 x 768 screen on the Mini - though other whispers have indicated a “retina” display instead - so that remains the most likely figures for a lower-resolution Mini screen, not least because it ensures compatibility with all existing iPad apps. That said, Apple’s has given developers a mechanism for supporting the iPhone 5’s new display dimensions, so it’s entirely possible that the iPad Mini will not be a 4:3 ratio device.

Earlier this week, it was claimed that iPad Mini assembly has begun in Brazil, and one financial analyst said he’d heard it said that Apple will send out invites on 12 October to a launch even to be held later this month. Or maybe 12 October is the launch - the information is ambiguous.

Finally, after months of mock-up iPad Mini photos doing the rounds, we’re now seeing screen cover and rear housing part pictures popping up on the web - they look like a thinner iPad in clingfilm, with Sim tray and Lightning port clear to see. ®