iPad Mini Release Date: Apple Orders 10 Million Units for Holiday Season
Apple's iPad Mini launch is coming soon, but how many will be in supply?
Unnamed Apple suppliers are saying that the Cupertino tech company ordered over 10 million iPad Mini units for production this season, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
This figure is roughly double the amount of Kindle Fire tablets Amazon ordered for this upcoming holiday season.
However, delays are already being expected.
The production schedule for Apple's new tablet is behind by four to six weeks, Topeka Capital Markets supply chain analyst Brian White said on Oct. 4. This means that the suppliers will not get the amount needed to fulfill the demand by consumers for this holiday season.
White said the following in a statement:
"Similar to the iPhone 5, we sensed that suppliers have found the specs around Apple's 7.85-inch 'iPad Mini' to be a challenge and yields have been frustrating. In our view, this is the reason the 'iPad Mini' is 4-6 weeks behind our original launch expectation that we discussed in June... We believe that supply constraints will initially hold back the full sales potential during the first month or so of the launch."
A Fortune report cited a "major Apple investor" who said Apple will begin to send out press invites for the new iPad Mini event on Oct. 10. The publication suggests that the iPad Mini could be released by Nov. 2, but the recent developments may push that back.
New photos and videos have surfaced on the Japanese blog Macotakara and AppleInsider which demonstrate its size. Some of the specifications ayet to be confirmed are a two model option between a seven and nine inch screens. The iPad Mini will also include a stylus and an 8-megapixel camera.
The price tag is rumored to be set at around $250 to $300 depending on screen sizes.
