Apple early Tuesday began accepting orders at its online store for the iPad mini with Retina Display. With limited availability of the product, it appears that orders are thus far available in only a select few countries, including the United States, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore.
No model is available to ship immediately: the 16 and 32 GB Wi-Fi models currently show a shipping time of 1 to 3 business days while the 64 and 128 GB Wi-Fi models, plus all Wi-Fi + Cellular models, currently show 5 to 10 business days.
This morning’s launch was preceded late Monday by a purportedly leaked note to Apple’s service providers via the company’s Global Service Exchange portal. Many dismissed the rumor, as the quiet launch of a popular product is unusual for Apple. With significant production problems for the new iPad mini’s display, however, both industry sources and Apple itself acknowledged that there would be shortages, so the quiet launch was likely an effort to avoid immediate sell-outs worldwide.
If you can get your hands on one, the new iPad mini now has the same processing power as its full-sized sibling, although thermal restraints from the smaller casing mean that it may run a tad slower, as has been seen when comparing the A7 chip in the iPad Air and the iPhone 5s. The device also sports a brand new “Retina” display, with the same 2,048-by–1,536 resolution. These new features come with a price bump, with the new mini starting at $399 compared to $329 for the original model when it launched last year. Those interested in an entry-level price point can now pick up that original iPad mini in a 16 GB capacity for $299.