Retina iPad Mini Now Available for Purchase From Apple's Online Store

In something of a surprise move, Apple has begun accepting orders for the Retina iPad mini in the United States and several other countries as of midnight Pacific Time on November 12. Orders for the 16 and 32 GB Wi-Fi versions are currently shipping within 1 to 3 business days while orders for the 64 and 128 GB versions along with cellular models are shipping within 5 to 10 days.

The company did not give any early indication that it would launch the Retina iPad mini today, aside from a mention of the seemingly unlikely November 12 date on its GSX site for service providers just hours ago.

retina_ipad_mini_space_gray_silver
The quiet launch of the Retina iPad mini may be due to constrained supplies, as rumors have suggested that available quantities of the mini will be extremely low due to display production issues. Apple is unlikely to have enough supply of the tablet to meet demand.

Visually, Apple's Retina iPad mini is nearly unchanged from the original mini, though it is both slightly heavier and thicker. The tablet includes a Retina display with a 2048 x 1536 resolution, along with an A7 processor and the M7 coprocessor originally introduced in the iPhone 5s.

The entry-level 16 GB Retina iPad mini will retail for $399 in the United States, with an extra $100 for each increase in capacity and $130 for cellular connectivity.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

KylePowers Avatar
140 months ago
Holy crap forums are backup! That was loneliest ~18 hours of my life!

Ordered a 16GB Wi-Fi and 32GB Wi-Fi, both in white. 1-3 days shipped, estimated arrival of 11/20-11/22, but it's already moved from 'processing' to 'preparing for shipment', so hopefully I'll see 'em sooner :D

So all that stuff about Retina Mini's being in short supply was just Apple trying to fake us all out?
What? Of course it's in short supply. Only 16-32GB are shipping in 1-3 business days (not even immediate availability) and everything else is 5-10 business days. That implies constrained inventory to me, especially on a launch day.

EDIT: I got my order confirmation email at 3:05AM (EST) for those curious
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ElectronGuru Avatar
140 months ago
It does say 3-5 day dispatch, yet the confirmation email states delivery between the 26th November and 3rd December. I ordered it at 9:15am GMT, so maybe the email is wrong?
No hard info, but my impression is that this is essentially a preorder period, allowing them to preview demand. The dispatch is from the factory itself with a longer delivery time than normal launches were standard SKUs are already in country.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamIchi Avatar
140 months ago
How does having a quiet launch helped with constrained supplies? So there's less media involved? In the end they'll produce as much as they can produce.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleMark Avatar
140 months ago
Thanks MR for the heads up.

Space grey 128GB WIFI & Cellular Mini - Ordered this morning.

I am pessimistic about the 5-10 day dispatch / delivery claim, given the alleged shortages etc, but we will see.…
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aniseedvan Avatar
140 months ago
I went into the MK (UK) store to return something at lunch and it was dead quiet. They didn't have them out on display (lady who helped me thought it would be that afternoon).
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stu.h Avatar
140 months ago
Just ordered mine, however, the UK wasn't listed in the first countries to be allowed to order :confused:

----------

Just ordered one for my sister for Christmas, engraved as well - she'll love it :D

Im from the midlands also, where are you? I'm by the Merry Hell Centre..

With the engraving, won't that affect resale value somewhat?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)