Between the new iPhone and iPod announcements, and now the preparation for official launch, talk of the iPad mini has been put on the back burner. This has a lot of folks wondering, is the rumored tablet still set for a fall launch?

According to a new report this afternoon, yes, the iPad mini is still on track to launch later this year. In fact, it appears that the slate has entered mass production, with Foxconn and Pegatron splitting the production…

Engadget passes along a report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News:

“According to today’s front page news on Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, reports from two local securities firms claim that Pegatron’s managed to nab a staggering 50 to 60 percent of iPad mini orders from Apple, meaning Foxconn is finally no longer the sole assembler of iPads.”

The move is said to be an attempt by Apple to lessen its reliance on Foxconn for manufacturing. The company typically produces all of Apple’s iPads, along with several of its other mobile devices and computers.

Perhaps the most interesting bit from the story is that the iPad mini is in mass production, as we’ve still seen relatively few leaked components. With the iPhone 5, we saw a new leaked part practically every day.

Apple was originally expected to unveil the smaller tablet during last week’s event. But recent speculation points to it turning up during a gig in the first few weeks of October. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.