Apple has confirmed that its new iPad mini does indeed have stereo speakers, after Amazon listed the tablet device as sporting only a mono speaker.

The clarification came in an email exchange between Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice-president of marketing, and a concerned customer. The customer, “Alex”, emailed Schiller directly to ask if the iPad mini was stereo or mono. 

To Alex’s surprise, he received an email from Schiller himself, who replied: “It is stereo.” Confirmation that the iPad mini does indeed house stereo speakers has now also been verified by additional sources.

The confusion arose after Apple failed to mention the type of speakers the iPad mini has, on its official website. Amazon then listed its own Kindle Fire HD alongside the iPad mini highlighting the fact the latter had an inferior mono speaker.

This comparison doesn't appear on the UK Amazon site, but the US site still compares the two against each other (noticeably,it is a different listing from the original) where it states the iPad mini as housing a single speaker.

The iPad mini is due to arrive in the UK on 2 November, with pricing starting at £269 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only version. In comparison, a 16GB version of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is available for £159.