RetinaIpadMini
Latest
Retina iPad mini is now available, prices start at $399
Sure the iPad Air is thin, light and has amazing battery life, but the arrival of its smaller cousin is about to make your choice more difficult. Apple's upgraded 8-inch slate, the Retina iPad mini, is now available, popping up in Apple's online stores around the globe. According to an internal Apple document posted by MacRumors, while some countries are getting both WiFi and cellular models, mainland China will have to make do with the WiFi-only variant. As we mentioned in our hands-on post, the device retains most of the first iPad mini's looks, save for being a tad thicker and heavier. The biggest change is its updated high-res display, while inside you'll find the new A7 CPU and M7 "motion coprocessor" tandem that we first saw in the iPhone 5s. Because those changes come at a price, the most basic model (16GB, WiFi) sells for $399. If that sounds too basic, you can add $100 more for each step in the storage ladder (32GB, 64GB and 128GB) and $130 for LTE connection. It's available now from Apple's online store (16GB and 32GB WiFi models list ship times of 1 - 3 business days, while larger / LTE-equipped models have a 5 - 10 day window), and should arrive shortly at local retailers -- assuming you haven't already opted for one of the many alternatives available.
Apple confirms it's 'unclear' whether there will be enough Retina iPad minis to meet demand
While Apple CEO Tim Cook may have put one rumor to rest during today's earnings call, he basically confirmed another one: When asked about the availability of the iPad mini with Retina display, Cook said that the new model will start shipping "later in November," but that it's "unclear whether we'll have enough for the quarter or not." Cook quickly pointed out that "we know how many we'll have," but that it's difficult to predict demand for a product until it starts shipping. He seemed to be confirming persistent rumors that the Retina mini would be in short supply during the holiday shopping season. Although Cook insisted that "we'll do fairly well with iPad," and that Apple will have a "really great holiday season," the company may have reason to be concerned about not being able to meet demand for the new model. As reported earlier, iPad sales were flat compared to the same period last year, even while competitors are seeing major growth in tablet sales. Apple has seen its share of the total tablet market drop from 60 percent a year ago to just 32 percent today. Apple is hoping, according to Cook, for "an iPad Christmas," but it may be one that many customers will have to celebrate without the company's most notable new model.
Take two tablets: Will the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini cure Apple's market share slide?
Apple put up some impressive numbers today: 170 million iPads sold to date. 475,000 iPad apps available. $13 billion paid to app developers. Yet those numbers only tell part of the story. While the iPad may continue to be the top-selling tablet line, it no longer dominates the market the way it once did. A year ago, 60 percent of all tablets sold were iPads, according to numbers from IDC. By this summer, that number was down to 32 percent, with Android models soaring from 38 percent to 63 percent. Even Windows models jumped from just 1 percent of the market to 4 percent -- and that was before Microsoft slashed the prices of older Surface models and released its second-generation tablets.
