Apple Is Now (Surprisingly) Selling The iPad Mini With A Retina Screen

Apple's high resolution iPad Mini with a Retina display is now available for sale on Apple's website.

It looks like it's going to be hard to get the iPad Mini with Retina. In a release, Apple says, "iPad mini with Retina display is available to order through the Apple Online Store to ship or through Personal Pickup at Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers."

In other words, you can't just walk into an Apple store, buy one, and walk out.

Apple's timing/sales method here is surprising.

Typically, Apple issues a press release a week or more in advance with a release date for the product. It drums up some buzz and some hype for the product. It gives the new iPad to a select group of reviewers who invariably declare it to be the best tablet in history.

Then two days later the iPad goes on sale and sites like this write about long lines, or a lack of long lines, and online pre-orders selling out.

Instead, Apple just started selling the Retina Mini in the middle of the week with almost no fanfare.

The iPad Mini has been called the "real iPad" by some of Apple's most ardent supporters. The only complaint these people had about the iPad Mini was its low resolution screen. Apple fixed that with the iPad Mini with Retina.

What we're trying to say here is that the iPad Mini with Retina is a really big deal. Giving it a small deal roll out is weird.

Apple must not have much of a supply and it's trying not to drum up too much demand.

Here's the official press release for the new iPad Mini:

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple® announced iPad® mini with Retina® display is available starting today. The new iPad mini brings all the pixels from the 9.7-inch iPad to its 7.9-inch screen, delivering razor sharp text and detail in an amazingly thin and light design. It features the powerful and power-efficient Apple-designed A7 chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, ultrafast wireless with faster built-in Wi-Fi and expanded LTE cellular connectivity, iOS 7 featuring hundreds of great new features and access to all 475,000 apps designed specifically for iPad."The response to iPad Air has been incredible, and we're excited for customers to experience the new iPad mini with Retina display"

"The response to iPad Air has been incredible, and we're excited for customers to experience the new iPad mini with Retina display," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "We think customers will love both of these thin, light, powerful new iPads, and we're working hard to get as many as we can in the hands of our customers."

Pricing & Availability

iPad mini with Retina display will be available starting today in silver or space gray. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi models will be available for a suggested retail price of $399 (US) for the 16GB model, $499 (US) for the 32GB model, $599 (US) for the 64GB model and $699 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of $529 (US) for the 16GB model, $629 (US) for the 32GB model, $729 (US) for the 64GB model and $829 (US) for the 128GB model. Additionally, the original iPad mini continues to be available at the more affordable price of $299 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and $429 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model for either AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon.

Custom-designed polyurethane Smart Covers for iPad mini with Retina display and iPad mini are available for $39 (US) in a range of vibrant colors, including blue, green, pink, yellow, black and (RED). Additionally, a beautiful aniline-dyed leather iPad mini Smart Case is available in six rich colors, including yellow, beige, blue, brown, black and (RED) for a suggested retail price of $69 (US) for both models of iPad mini. Smart Covers and Smart Cases are available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Authorized Apple Resellers.

iPad mini with Retina display is available to order through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com) to ship or through Personal Pickup at Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.