The new iPad Mini, with its Retina display and, er, little else to actually differentiate it from the rest of Apple‘s product line. But, if you want it in LTE, that’s available. At least in theory, as apparently carriers have yet to see any actual iPad minis.
After a brief spate of availability last week, the iPad Mini with a cellular radio in it is basically impossible to find. CNET did some checking and found that not even Apple has any right now:
Verizon’s date [is] now slipping to December 2. Last week, Verizon had been saying November 25. And the carrier isn’t saying when the device may arrive in stores, according to a company spokesperson. T-Mobile is now showing the Mini Retina back-ordered 6-8 weeks. AT&T is saying 21-28 days for orders to ship. Cellular Retina Mini models, after being available briefly last week for customer pickup at Apple stores, are largely unavailable now for pickup by customers who pre-order.
That’s problematic for two reasons. One, back orders will keep piling up for the iPad Mini, as it’s arguably Apple’s most popular product. That means a lot of angry customers and if the dates keep slipping, a lot of missed Christmas gifts.
Two, it more or less confirms what analysts were arguing, which is that making a Retina screen that small is a Herculean task, something Apple laughed off. If Apple can’t keep up with demand, eventually that demand will go somewhere else. One assumes that Apple has the cash to fling at display makers to ensure that it gets the screens it needs, so the question really becomes… how quickly can they get iPad Minis on the market?
(Image courtesy of Queens University on Flickr)