iPad

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LTE-enabled Retina iPad minis start arriving to Apple Stores

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Yesterday, credible analysts cautioned fans to brace themselves for tight supply of the iPad mini with Retina display throughout the entire holiday quarter, as evidenced by Apple making Wi-Fi models available for in-store pickup only and based on supply chain chatter. Part of the stagerred roll-out, LTE-capable devices have now started slowly but surely trickling into Apple's retail stores in the United States.

As you could imagine, quantities are limited so not all outlets carry cellular minis yet...

Retina iPad mini teardown: LG Display Retina panel, larger battery, A7 and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2013

Yesterday, I wondered on Twitter what was taking the repair magicians over at iFixit so long to do their ritual teardown of Apple's stealthily-released iPad mini with Retina display. My prayers have been listened to as iFixit has torn apart the device, revealing its guts and components for the whole world to see. As you could imagine, they found an Apple-designed A7 chip inside, slightly underclocked versus the iPad Air.

On top of that, there are usual suspects in terms of wireless and supporting chips. As for the titular update to this iPad mini - the Retina display - the teardown analysis has identified an LG Display-supplied 7.9-inch in-plane switching LCD with a 2,048-by-1,536 screen resolution.

While the resolution is the same as the iPad 3/4/Air, the images are crisper at 326 pixels per inch (264 ppi on the iPad Air) due to a shrunken form factor, as noted MacStories editor Federico Viticci noted in his hands-on article.

Other tidbits follow...

Retina iPad mini: first shipments due Friday, tight supply until 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 13, 2013

Have you ordered your iPad mini with Retina display yet? If you're still on the fence of buying the device, make up your mind sooner than later because the popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is expecting tight supply this holiday season.

Kuo is very reliable and this is the first time he posted estimates of the numbers so it pays to take his remarks at face value. Corroborating his analysis, Rhoda Alexander of IHS iSupply cautions that shipments of the supply-constrained device won't double until the first quarter of next year, meaning shortages are to be expected throughout the Christmas quarter.

Meanwhile, early adopters are now reporting receiving an Apple Store-estimated delivery date of this coming Friday, November 15. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Poll: are you buying Retina iPad mini?

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 12, 2013

Apple's iPad mini with Retina display is finally here and available via online orders, with shipping or pickup at the company's brick-and-mortar outlets. In fact, the new iPads are already being featured prominently on the online Apple Store.

Wasting no time whatsoever, Apple's web store is now pitching both new iPads as perfect holiday gifts, even with the initially severely constrained supplies of Retina iPad minis.

With that in mind, today I want to focus on a Retina successor to Apple's best-selling tablet, the iPad mini. Do you think you'll be getting an iPad mini with Retina display this coming holidays? The poll is right past the fold so cast your vote and meet us in comments. Should be fun!

Best Buy knocking $100 off iPad 2 and up to $200 off Macs for Black Friday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 15, 2018

Following Black Friday sale previews from Target and Walmart, major electronics retailer Best Buy has published a number of deals it will be offering up on the popular after-Thanksgiving-day shopping weekend.

Folks looking to get an iPad for a friend or family member for the holidays will be interested to hear that Best Buy will be selling the iPad 2 for $299—$100 off. And it will also be discounting Macs, iPods and more...

Wi-Fi models of Retina iPad mini now available for pickup at some Apple Stores

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 6, 2013

When the iPad mini with Retina display first went up for sale on Apple's web store this morning, the option to pick it up in-store was not available. Customers could only choose between shipping methods, with estimates ranging from 1-10 days depending on the model.

But this has changed for some folks over the past few hours. A number of Apple Stores across the US and other launch countries are now showing that Wi-Fi models of the new mini are available for Personal Pickup, meaning you could order the tablet and pick it up today...

Walmart’s Black Friday sale: $100 gift card with iPad mini purchase, $75 with iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 16, 2018

And they're off! With Black Friday now just a few weeks away, retailers have begun teasing their after-Thanksgiving-day sales in hopes of convincing hordes of customers to visit their stores on the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

We've already seen a preview of Target's sale, which offers the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad Air for $479 with a free $100 gift card, and other discounts. And now, Walmart has published a snippet of its Black Friday specials showing a similar offer...

Retina iPad mini’s A7 chip slightly underclocked versus iPad Air

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

In a surprise non-announcement, Apple's iPad mini with Retina display has unexpectedly gone on sale this morning. For the time being, the device is available online for shipping or with in-store pick-up.

What you can't do (yet) is just walk in and purchase one due to supply constraints and ongoing manufacturing woes as Apple is "working hard" to meet demand. Availability issues aside, what's there to get excited about the device?

For The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, the answer is simple: the iPad mini with Retina display is a no-compromise play - thou shall no longer sacrifice clarity for portability as the tablet packs in the same Retina display like its bigger brother, the iPad Air.

In fact, the only difference between the two is the screen size as the new iPad mini runs the same A7 processor that debuted on the iPhone 5s and made its way into the iPad Air. And just how speedy is the Retina iPad mini vs. the iPhone 5s and iPad Air?

Here are the first benchmark scores...

Walk-in Retina iPad mini purchases unavailable, Apple ‘working hard’ to meet demand

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 12, 2013

Those of you who just woke up needn't worry, there's nothing wrong with the Internet today - Apple's iPad mini with Retina display has indeed made a surprise debut. As Cody told you, the highly anticipated tablet has unexpectedly been available as of midnight Pacific Time on November 12, arriving without too much noise on Apple's part aside from a quiet website update and a press release.

It would appear that the combination of pent-up demand and production issues prompted Apple to limit launch availability to online orders or Personal Pickup in the case of retail stores, implying you can't just waltz inside your nearest Apple Store and buy a Retina iPad mini...

Online Apple stores go down amidst rumors of November 12 Retina iPad mini launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 26, 2018

Either Apple is trolling all of us very hard with a late-night maintenance session, or recent reports of the Retina iPad mini launching on November 12 are true. All of Apple's online stores have been offline for over an hour now.

Earlier tonight, a post was spotted on Apple’s internal GSX (global service exchange) site for service providers and third-party vendors stating that the company is preparing to launch its second-generation iPad mini tomorrow...

Google has lost significant mobile maps traffic to Apple since last year

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 26, 2018

Despite all of the user complaints and negative PR Apple encountered when it replaced Google Maps with its own in-house software in iOS 6 last year, the app has turned out to be quite a hit with US iPhone and iPad users.

According to research data from comScore, more than 35 million US iPhone owners used Apple's Maps app in September 2013. That's significantly more than the 6 million or so that used Google's standalone iOS Maps app...

Apple expected to increase holiday-quarter iPad screen purchases from Samsung

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

Samsung of South Korea may have gotten itself into hot water with Apple over patents and design issues, but its semiconductor unit continues to churn out unabated the Apple-designed engine which powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod devices. As for Retina screens, Apple originally sourced mobile displays from non-Samsung suppliers such as Sharp and LG Display.

Last we heard, recent yield and quality issues have reportedly prompted the iPhone maker to turn to its frenemy for help. Korea’s ETNews last Friday claimed Apple has asked Samsung for help as Sharp struggles to solve burn-in issues with IGZO panels for the iPad Air.

At the heart of the production issues is Japanese giant's malfunctioning of the thin-film transistor display technology. Corroborating the report, a display research firm on Monday said Apple's purchase of Samsung-made panels for the iPad is about to skyrocket in the fourth quarter...