• Even though Thanksgiving and Black Friday are next week, the holiday shopping frenzy is already in full force – and there’s no doubt consumers will turn to their tablets and mobile phones to shop.
• Speaking of tablets, one analyst believes the iPad Mini will generate “more demand than it cannibalizes.”
• While the iPhone 5 has been on the shelves for just two short months, Apple is reportedly already starting production for its next generation of the smartphone – the iPhone 5S.

‘Tis the season to use tablets and smartphones to shop. According to a survey of 550 consumers about their expected shopping channels this holiday season, 44 percent of online shoppers anticipate making a purchase on a tablet, and 41 percent say they would use mobile for shopping. Thirty-two percent of mobile and tablet users believe they will make a “big-ticket” purchase on these channels this holiday. “Overall, mobile platforms are the fastest-growing channels for making purchases,” writes Steve Smith for MediaPost.

Apple’s new “iPad Mini creates more demand than it cannibalizes,” says Cowen and Co. analyst Matthew Hoffman, because it will most likely attract entry-level tablet buyers, reported AllThingsD. The analyst firm recently conducted a study of 1,225 U.S. adults about their tablet-buying preferences and found that 12 percent said they would buy an iPad Mini in the next 18 months. Most interesting is that more than 50 percent of those who plan to purchase the iPad Mini are first-time buyers – something app developers and marketers should keep in mind.

While Apple only debuted the iPhone 5 in September, the technology powerhouse is already speculated to start trial productions for its next iPhone – the iPhone 5S – in December. According to Business Insider, which sources a Chinese business newspaper, the iPhone 5S is expected to hit full production in the first quarter of 2013, hinting at a possible spring release. There are also reports that Apple is developing a new iPad – also for the first quarter – that could be the iPad Mini featuring a retina screen. As with all Apple products, time will tell. 

Apple already made quite a big splash in the mobile world this fall, releasing its iPhone 5 to record-breaking sales and pushing out its iOS 6 operating system to a staggering 200 million devices. Now, on the verge of the holiday shopping season, the technology giant has unveiled a long-awaited, smaller-format tablet – the iPad Mini – that is expected to shake up the market with its ultra-sleek design and powerful display.  

Debuting today in front of an audience at the California Theater in San Jose, the iPad Mini is lighter and thinner than its elder sibling. It weighs only 0.68 pounds – more than 50 percent lighter than the standard iPad – and measures only 7.2 millimeters. It also features a 7.9-inch diagonal (versus a 9.7-inch diagonal on the current iPad), comes in black and white versions, and starts retailing at $329 for a 16-gigabyte, Wi-Fi-only model. (Models with more memory and cellular connectivity vary in price up to $659 for the high end model.)

At Fiksu, we’ve been keeping an eye on the iPad Mini and how it will affect app developers and marketers. While Apple has sold an impressive 100 million iPads in less than three years, there are considerations to be assessed before racing to incorporate the iPad Mini into user acquisition strategies:

• Who’ll be buying the iPad Mini? Because of its $329 starting price, the iPad Mini could attract a slew of net new users, especially younger generations, who might consider it an alternative to devices such as the Xbox, Kindle, and PlayStation 3.
• What’s the killer app category for the iPad Mini? It could well be leisure/lifestyle apps, as pundits believe the Mini might be more used in the home than out and about. Existing tablet usage has emphasized games, media, and shopping, so those categories are also likely to fare well.
• Keep your eye on the prize. The larger iPad has an established, engaged user base and delivers a more immersive experience than its new sibling, so it provides better app-advertising real estate. In addition, the price difference may position the bigger device as a premium product, which could carry a premium price for advertising.

Pre orders will begin Friday, Oct. 26, with the device hitting shelves Friday, Nov. 2, in plenty of time for holiday shopping. And experts predict that ad spending on tablets will engulf smartphone spending for the holidays, even on the heels of last month’s iPhone 5 launch. However, the new iPad Mini could face competition from Google’s reported 10-inch Nexus tablet, which is speculated to premiere Monday, Oct. 29.

You can also read some of our recommended news articles from today’s event:

• Apple iPad Mini -- it's real, and it has a new design, CNET
• iPad Mini starts at $329, is thinner than a pencil, NBCNews.com
• Apple Unveils iPad Mini, The Wall Street Journal

• With less than two weeks until Apple’s speculated Oct. 17 iPad Mini release, reports show that mass production of the smaller iPad has begun.
• Though the iPhone 5 has just barely hit shelves, some mobile mavens have already started wish lists for their dream iPhone 6.
• As the holiday travel season starts in less than one month, popular smartphone app HotelTonight’s recent acquisition of PrimaTable should allow more personalized recommendations for guests looking to snag last-minute rooms.
• Retailers will be able to learn how to promote m-commerce – especially during the upcoming holiday season – at next week’s Internet Retailer Mobile Marketing and Commerce Forum, where Fiksu and our customer Lemon are co-presenting.

Apple’s Asian component suppliers have commenced mass production of the rumored iPad Mini tablet that is expected to directly compete with Amazon’s recently released tablets, according to The Wall Street Journal. With an expected 7-inch size, the so-called iPad Mini will enter a crowded, low-cost tablet market that includes Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Amazon’s hot Kindle Fire HD. Though its price tag hasn’t been announced, speculation is that the iPad Mini will retail for less than the $499 price of the latest full-size iPad.

As Apple’s iPhone 5 continues to break records, including selling 5 million units during its first weekend, some users are already sharing their desires for the iPhone 6 - even though Apple’s usual product timeline would have the hypothetical release a year off. Some wish-list items include fingerprint screening, near-field communication technology, more storage, and an improved Siri, reports CNET. Apple’s design philosophy is modest: “Our goals are very simple – to design and make better products. If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it,” said Apple’s chief designer Sir Jonathan Ive.

With the holiday season kicking off in just a few short weeks, travelers will inevitably flock to hotels worldwide in order to spend time with friends and family. But spontaneous tourists don’t need to plan months ahead, as they can use last-minute booking app HotelTonight for their accommodations. Now, the wildly popular smartphone app just became a little more personal. HotelTonight recently acquired PrimaTable, which provided members-only access to reservations at fine restaurants in San Francisco and New York. According to Mashable, HotelTonight and PrimaTable will combine their algorithms to make hotel booking more personal, creating more relevant search results and rational pricing for users. Read more about HotelTonight’s mobile app marketing success story here.

Retailers looking to boost their mobile efforts during the holiday season can turn to next week’s Internet Retailer 2012 Mobile Marketing and Commerce Forum for actionable advice. Fiksu and our customer Lemon, a digital wallet app, will co-present on new frontiers in app promotion, focusing on Lemon’s successful experience navigating the complex mobile app ecosystem. The discussion will also cover iOS and Android app marketing, as well as attaining customer loyalty. The show takes place Monday, Oct. 8, though Wednesday, Oct. 10, in San Diego. Details and registration here.