11:25 AM – The Retina iPad Mini launched two weeks after the iPad Air originally went on sale. The main reason for this is because Apple was having trouble with producing enough units to meet demand. Due to this issue, Apple has yet to met up with demand and with initial stock dry, the current time to get the Retina iPad Mini stands at 5 to 10 business days.
In a new report from somewhat reliable Digitimes, Apple has ordered nearly 4 million Retina iPad Mini units in November. This exceeds last years orders that Apple put in for the original iPad Mini. This news comes from a Taiwan-based supply chain maker.
Currently, Apple’s orders for the iPad mini with Retina have already surpassed those for the first-generation iPad mini, the sources noted.
One of the biggest reasons why suppliers have had a hard time producing the new tablet is because of the retina 7.9-inch display. The retina display is the main cause because it’s very hard for the suppliers to produce such pixel-dense panels at that size. The iPad Air has been easier to make because it’s easier to fit all of those pixels in that panel size.
When the Retina iPad Mini was launched, you could only buy it online or with personal in-store pickup. Only until last week is when Apple’s own retail stores have begun to sell the tablet.
Supply is still low for the tablet, so order ahead of time.