While acknowledging that the new model designations could be faked by jailbreaking an iPhone, that's not consistent with Armant's prior experience with information appearing in his app's device stats. " Ive never had a device show up there that didn't end up being a real, about-to-be-released Apple device," he wrote.

The two new iPad 2s could be upcoming revisions of the existing iPad 2, but the developer maintained that would be unlikely, considering how late the device is in its lifecycle. "The much more likely explanation is that iPad2,5 and iPad2,6 are the new 'iPad Mini' in Wi-Fi and GSM, and I havent recorded the likely iPad2,7 CDMA version yet," he writes.

Meanwhile, that Apple will be going to AU Optronics and LG Display for displays for the Mini and TPK Holding, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, for the lamination coating for the 7.85-inch screens.

Sharp, a for Apple products, will be shut out of the initial Mini runs, the report noted.

The Japanese company may already have too much Apple on its plate. It hasn't even started producing screens for the next iPhone 5, expected to , according to . That development is raising questions about Apple's capability to meet the initial demand for the handset, the Journal says.