Report says iPad Mini will be priced to move

With speculation pointing to not only a smaller iPad but a cheaper one too, will Apple try to crush rivals on price?

The New York Times chimed in today with a relatively tame report on the expected 7.85-inch iPad.

Nothing startlingly new was revealed -- and it follows a long line of reports including a recent CNET report.

But the Times report did state that smaller iPad "is likely to sell for significantly less than the latest $499 iPad."

Considering that Apple offers a $399 iPad 2, would Apple venture below $399?

Here's one way to look at it. If Apple wants to own the tablet category and fend off (i.e., crush) rivals like the $199 Google Nexus 7, aggressive pricing is one way to do it.

And the so-callled iPad Mini does seem very likely now. Back on July 3, Richard Shim of NPD DisplaySearch, commenting on the display for the iPad, told CNET that "there's a business plan for it, there's a mass production target for it. And we know that it's for Apple."