Tim Cook admitted that the iPad mini with Retina display will be in short supply for the next few weeks, but while Wifi-only units seem to be in-stock at Apple Stores across the country, it looks like Apple is having a hard time keeping a steady supply of 3G/4G units rolling out to developers.
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are all reporting shortages of iPad mini with Retina display stock with most orders being backed up for weeks, according to a report from CNET.
As of last week, Verizon claimed their back-orders would start shipping on November 25th but that date has since slipped to December 2nd. Things are even worse for the other two carriers with AT&T saying it will take 21-28 days to ship new orders, while T-Mobile is struggling with a back-order ship time of 6-8 weeks.
Apple announced the iPad mini with Retina display alongside the new iPad Air at a keynote last month. The company hosted an official launch day for the iPad Air on November 1st, but thanks to tight supply of the Retina Mini’s new 2,048×1,536 resolution display that packs more pixels-per-inch that the iPad Air, Apple did a quiet launch on November 12th.
Rumors swirled before the Retina iPad mini launch that Apple was having a hard time manufacturing displays for the new mini, and it looks like that’s especially true for 3G/4G units. Apple’s website is reporting shipping times of 5-10 business days for 3G/4G Retina iPad mini models, but Wifi-only units seem to be fairly well stocked with many Apple Stores reporting same day pick-up as an option for online orders.
Source: CNET
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
