Retina iPad Mini Supplies Improving for Holidays

As numerous potential customers have discovered, the Retina iPad mini has been in very short supply since its quiet launch earlier this month, with Apple reportedly struggling with display yields that have limited production.

retina_ipad_mini_space_gray_silver
Several analysts had previously predicted that Retina iPad mini production would be limited to roughly two million units for the fourth quarter of 2013, but a new report from Digitimes claims that the production issues have been solved and that Apple has forged ahead with orders for four million units for the month of November as the company scrambles to build up its supplies for the holiday shopping season.

As bottlenecks in making components for the iPad mini with Retina have gradually been removed, Apple has increase orders in November to nearly four million units, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Currently, Apple's orders for the iPad mini with Retina have already surpassed those for the first-generation iPad mini, the sources noted.

In-store availability of Retina iPad mini models has improved markedly for Apple's U.S. retail stores, with the company starting to offer walk-in sales late last week, although availability of Wi-Fi models remains much stronger than for cellular-capable models. Orders placed through Apple's online store are currently being quoted 5-10 business day shipping estimates for all models.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

AppleWarMachine Avatar
154 months ago
But is the $70 increase worth the difference to some?

I don't see why not :D

And not just for the Retina, but everything else (like 4 times faster)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleVsAndroid Avatar
154 months ago
But the screens.. the screens seems to be bad?

I got one and I love it. Its very easy to hold and use compared to the bigger Air. Depends on what you want!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleMark Avatar
154 months ago
New iPad Mini Retina - Experience

I took delivery of my new iPad Retina today, with the following observations.

I already own a 1st Gen 32GB WIFI iPad mini and upgraded primarily for a larger HD (128GB), cellular & GPS. So, I restored from a back-up so that all the settings, Apps were exactly the same on both devices to be able to make equal comparisons.

1. Firstly, I noticed that the screen compared to my 1st generation is noticeably yellow. In fact my 1st Gen is very much more on the blue / white spectrum and similar to my desktop iMac and cinema displays and white backgrounds look white. The Retina too looked warm (dirty white).

2. I carried out the marco.org image retention test and the Retina failed. The irony is that I carried out the same test on my 1st Gen and although there was some minor retention (mainly around the edges), it faded away quicker. It is worth mentioning that retention was never something I noticed the 10 months I have owned my Mini, until I went looking for it.

Interestingly, I left both iPads on the Apple home page for about 5-10 minutes while I was gauging colour and resolution. On switching to grey on the retention test screen I could clearly see the words iPad Air from the Apple Ad on the home page on the Retina only.

3. The Retina screen itself is a mixed bag for me. For me the resolution is only marginally better overall, possibly exacerbated due to the dirty hue of the 'yellow' screen. Yes it is definitely clearer when you stare closely, or zoom in. However, it is not like my full size iPad where a Retina Screen is a big deal. It is so relatively small that for me it is not a big difference and thankfully not the reason I upgraded. I am guessing that it will be better for watching movies, but I do not do this on my Mini that often myself.

Saying that I cannot accept a screen who's colour balance is not as good as a non-retina screen and has retention issues out of the box.

4. In my real world test's of opening and closing App's and the 'web page racing' I did. I did not appreciate the 4 x speed difference. X2 maybe, but not X4.

It is true to say that if I did not have something to compare it to, it may not have been an issue. But I do and it is. Also based on my experience with early poor iPhone displays, the yellow is too much and will have caught up with me in the end.

Just thought I would share my observations and disappointment. I just cannot believe I waited 2 weeks for this.

My advice to anybody wanting to buy now, is to buy direct from Apple and not an awkward 3rd party retailer. This is because, I will send this back or walk into an Apple store with no questions within 14 days. In the UK, high street stores like Curry's, Argos etc are going to give you a hard time for returning something, with the "fault's" I have observed.

I will try another (if I do not have to wait another 2 weeks...) to see if I get an improved unit, otherwise I will wait for the next update.

I also posted a couple of photo's for anybody who cares. The New Retina is the black device, but of course you know that right...?. Also, I only did the retention test for 5 minutes (for this photo), as I was in a hurry and already carried out the testing previously.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bkushner Avatar
154 months ago
But the screens.. the screens seems to be bad?

No
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
154 months ago
But the screens.. the screens seems to be bad?

The tiny minority of obsessives are missing out on a great product. I feel sorry for them. But there's no doubt these new Retina iPads are already a phenomenal success story for Apple.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
154 months ago
DigiTimes = random click bait.

They invent hundreds of things--along with some obvious common-sense statements--and a few predictions turn out true by sheer luck. Not many.

You may as well ask an 8-ball as take a DigiTimes "report" seriously.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)