If you’re hoping to get your hands on the new iPad mini with Retina display next month, then you’ll want to be one of the first in line at the Apple store when it goes on sale. According to one tablet industry expert, supply of the new device will be “ridiculously tight” at launch, likely leading to long delays for those who aren’t lucky enough to bag one on day one.
Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet research at IHS, claims that Apple has made a significantly smaller number of iPad minis with Retina display than it did the original model for last year’s launch. Apple is only able to produce a third of the number of devices it was shipping from the factory for the iPad mini’s debut, causing supply to be “ridiculously tight.”
CNET suggests that demand for the iPad mini may not be as great this year, as it’s no longer a brand new device — but rather an “incremental” upgrade over last year’s model. But with a much-anticipated Retina display and a new 64-bit A7 processor, it’s still likely to sell incredibly well — and indeed be extremely popular during its first few weeks of availability.
Apple still hasn’t confirmed the new iPad mini’s release date yet — its website still says “later in November” — so maybe it’s hoping to improve the supply constraints in the meantime, or at least wait until it has a big enough stockpile to meet launch day demand.
If Alexander’s claims are correct, the new iPad mini won’t be the first Apple product that isn’t easy to get hold of shortly after launch — and it certainly won’t be the last, either. Just last month, fans struggled to get hold of the silver and gold iPhone 5s variants on launch day, forcing many to settle for the space grey model instead. Weeks later, the devices still aren’t easy to obtain.
Via: CNET
