Filip Novotny 99% of users are satisfied with their iPad. However, in order for customers to praise the Apple tablet, they must first be able to purchase it. However, it won't be so easy for the iPad mini with Retina display. Tim Cook himself does not know how many will be produced.
During yesterday's conference call to present the financial results, Apple's chief executive stated that "it is not clear whether we will have enough." He then added that he did not know the size of the demand either. The most anticipated feature of the smaller iPad has been the Retina display since the introduction of the first generation last year.
And now it is highly likely that the retina iPad mini will not be easy to get at all. An obvious sign of this is the vague date for the start of sales, which is set at "November". For the iPad Air, it is precisely November 1. This is proof that Apple is not sure when and how many iPad minis the Chinese manufacturers will be able to deliver.
Some experts are of the same opinion. Rhoda Alexander, analyst at IHS iSuppli, for the foreign server CNET stated that it "does not expect meaningful volume of the iPad mini with Retina display before the first quarter of 2014."
Another analyst company, KGI Securities, expresses a similar opinion. According to her, Apple will only be able to ship 2,2 million retina iPad minis in the fourth quarter. That will be a big drop from last year's 6,6 million units of the first-generation iPad mini.
The main reason for the lack of stock is said to be difficulties with the production of the Retina display. So far, it has been produced for the iPhone, the large iPad and the higher class MacBook Pro. It's new for the iPad mini, and Chinese suppliers haven't been able to optimize production processes yet. The situation should improve only after the new year.
The Czech customer will probably not have a real chance to get a new iPad mini at first. Apple is tight-lipped when it comes to deliveries, so domestic resellers cannot estimate in what volume (and if at all) the new tablets will arrive. Hopefully we can make it at least for Russian Christmas.
Oh yeah, I need 3 for Christmas :(
Hehe, there will be a voucher for an iPad mini under the tree instead of a baby iPad when it becomes available, cool! :D