Apple (Nasdaqq: AAPL) says its new Retina iPad mini with a high-definition screen is now available for shipping – just in time for the critical holiday shopping period.
The surprise announcement came very early Tuesday morning.
The device, which comes in Space Gray and Silver, will start from $399, it said on its website.
While the larger iPad Air went on sale on Nov. 1, Apple hadn’t said when the smaller tablet would be available beyond sometime in November.
The launch was termed as “quiet” by website MacRumors. It also reported the reason could be “due to constrained supplies, as rumors have suggested that available quantities of the mini will be extremely low due to display production issues. Apple is unlikely to have enough supply of the tablet to meet demand.”
MacRumors noted that the the Retina model is “nearly unchanged from the original mini, though it is both slightly heavier and thicker.”
Apple has seen sales growth for the iPad slow in recent quarters as customers wait for new models and the market becomes more crowded with rival devices from Samsung Electronics Co. and Amazon.com Inc. The iPad is Apple’s second-biggest source of sales after the iPhone, accounting for $71 billion in revenue last year. The Cupertino, California-based company sold 14.1 million units last quarter, down from 14.6 million in the previous three-month period.
“This is just the beginning for iPad,” Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said at a San Francisco event last month to unveil the updated tablets. “We have been busy working on the next generation of iPad.”
Markets where the new iPad mini is now available for shipping include the U.S., Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to its website
The device’s starting price of $399 is $70 more expensive than last year’s model. The most expensive model can cost as much as $829 with 128 gigabytes of memory and access to wireless networks. The older model released last year will start at $299.
