Thursday Apple Rumors: Retina iPad Mini to Hit Stores Nov. 21

by Christopher Freeburn | October 31, 2013 10:10 am

daily apple rumors AAPL[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Timing: When it unveiled its new Retina iPad Mini at a special media event earlier this month, Apple (AAPL[3]) did not provide an exact date for the tablet’s launch. That was in contrast to the fifth-generation iPad, dubbed the iPad Air, which is scheduled to become available at Apple Stores and major retailers on Nov. 1. Now a listing on the website for discount retailer Target (TGT[4]) suggests that the second-generation iPad Mini will be released on Nov. 21[5], MacRumors notes. That would correspond to statements from Apple executives who indicated that the tablet would become available in late November. The iPad Mini has been a top seller for Apple since its debut last year. A Retina version of the 7.9-inch tablet had been expected to appear this year. However, recent reports suggest that Apple’s supply chain partners have encountered significant problems producing sufficient volumes of the pixel-dense screens, leading to very low inventories of the tablet. Some reports suggest that Retina iPad Minis could be very hard for consumers to find during the holiday shopping season and that supplies of the tablet may not become adequate to meet demand until early next year.

Arriving: While consumers may have to scramble to get a Retina iPad Mini, they probably won’t have any trouble buying Apple’s new iPad Air[6], 9to5Mac notes. Ample quantities of the fifth-generation iPad have begun arriving at nationwide retailers and Apple stores in advance of its official launch on Friday. Large Apple Stores across the country have reportedly received shipments of between 500 and 1,000 units of the new tablet. Other retailers say they have good inventories of the device for tomorrow’s launch. Apple has apparently informed retailers that they will receive even more iPad Airs in the next few weeks. The updated tablet features Apple’s new A7 processor and thinner, lighter design compared to previous iPad models.

Preferences: Data released by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) shows that consumers like some Apple device colors better than others[7], MacRumors notes. The space gray version of the new iPhone 5s is the most popular choice for U.S. buyers, accounting for 43% of iPhone 5s units sold so far. By contrast, 30% of U.S. purchasers selected the silver version and 27% opted for the gold colored iPhone 5s. Inventories of the iPhone 5s were constrained during its launch, especially limiting the available number of gold iPhones. Among those who purchased the iPhone 5c, which replaced last year’s iPhone 5, 27% opted for models with a blue casing, making it the most popular color choice. White was the next most selected color at 25%, followed by green, which was chosen by 21% of consumers, and pink, purchased by 20%. The yellow iPhone 5c ranked a distant fifth, selected by just 7% of buyers.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[8] stories.

Endnotes:

  1. [Image]: https://investorplace.com/hot-topics/apple/#.UnJio5G1Kf0
  2. Apple rumors: https://investorplace.com/search/?q=Apple+Rumors&searchsubmit=Search
  3. AAPL: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=AAPL
  4. TGT: http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/investplace/quote?Symbol=TGT
  5. the second-generation iPad Mini will be released on Nov. 21: http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/30/product-listing-suggests-retina-ipad-mini-could-launch-on-november-21/
  6. probably won’t have any trouble buying Apple’s new iPad Air: http://9to5mac.com/2013/10/30/ipad-airs-start-arriving-at-apple-stores-and-resellers-as-supply-expected-to-be-plentiful/
  7. shows that consumers like some Apple device colors better than others: http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/30/space-gray-iphone-5s-most-popular-amid-supply-constraints-blue-leads-for-iphone-5c/
  8. Apple Rumors: https://investorplace.com/2012/04/hot-topics/apple-rumors-stock-news/

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