Sales of iPad mini and 4th-gen iPad begin in New Zealand [u]
Apple's iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad are now available in New Zealand, the first country to start sales of the long-awaited 7.9-inch tablet that was unveiled at the end of October.
Update: Reports are coming in of iPad mini sales going live in Australia. Apple will continue rolling out the tablet around the world through brick-and-mortar Apple Stores and resellers, with each location starting sales at 8 a.m. local time.
New Zealand on Friday became the first country to start sales of Apple's hotly-anticipated iPad mini, which will rollout to launch countries worldwide on Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. local time.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, customers looking to buy the tablet from the island nation's resellers got a 20-hour jump on consumers in Apple's home town of San Francisco. Because Apple does not yet operate an official Apple Store in the country, it does not know which resellers have remaining stock.
?I don?t know who will have what (products) where in New Zealand but the retailers will certainly be able to open their doors so people can come in and touch and play straight away,? Apple spokeswoman Fiona Martin said.
Apple announced the 7.9-inch iPad mini at a special event on Oct. 23, with preorders for the mid-size tablet going live days later. Incredible demand saw launch day deliveries of all white and silver models sell out within hours, and the black and slate version followed suit two days later.
Most recently, a teardown of the device revealed a pair of stereo speakers, the first for an iDevice, as well as a Samsung-sourced LCD panel.
According to one analyst, Apple is expected to sell up to 1.5 million iPad minis over launch weekend, about half the number of iPad 3 units sold in March.
Update: Reports are coming in of iPad mini sales going live in Australia. Apple will continue rolling out the tablet around the world through brick-and-mortar Apple Stores and resellers, with each location starting sales at 8 a.m. local time.
New Zealand on Friday became the first country to start sales of Apple's hotly-anticipated iPad mini, which will rollout to launch countries worldwide on Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. local time.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, customers looking to buy the tablet from the island nation's resellers got a 20-hour jump on consumers in Apple's home town of San Francisco. Because Apple does not yet operate an official Apple Store in the country, it does not know which resellers have remaining stock.
?I don?t know who will have what (products) where in New Zealand but the retailers will certainly be able to open their doors so people can come in and touch and play straight away,? Apple spokeswoman Fiona Martin said.
Apple announced the 7.9-inch iPad mini at a special event on Oct. 23, with preorders for the mid-size tablet going live days later. Incredible demand saw launch day deliveries of all white and silver models sell out within hours, and the black and slate version followed suit two days later.
Most recently, a teardown of the device revealed a pair of stereo speakers, the first for an iDevice, as well as a Samsung-sourced LCD panel.
According to one analyst, Apple is expected to sell up to 1.5 million iPad minis over launch weekend, about half the number of iPad 3 units sold in March.
Comments
One tablet to rule them all and in the darkness grind them. I believe Smaug was the first customer in New Zealand to purchase an iPad Mini then promptly sat on it.
It's very nice: much nicer than that of the iPad 1 that I use!
The tablet is light and easy to holde in hand: I've been typing this in portrait and landscape (currently landscape) effortlessly while standing at the iPad table.
I'm going to do a bit more playing with so see you all later (I'm after the cell version, btw ).
In Collingwood, just received delivery of the iPad mini I had ordered. Amazingly light .. and very usable screen ... am impressed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by telecomsroadwarrier
In Collingwood, just received delivery of the iPad mini I had ordered. Amazingly light .. and very usable screen ... am impressed.
how do you find the screen compared to iPad 1 / 2? Is it bad as some of the reviews make it out to be?
I don't know why people think the screen would be bad. I have an original iPad and I think the screen is very good. 1024x768 is very usable and websites, media, and other content look totally fine. The mini screen should look a bit better than an iPad2 or original iPad screen.
it seems to be very good. I only have an iPad2 so i can't compare it with a retina iPad nor have I tried many apps on it yet but i think customers will be happy! When people see this device in people hands the demand will go up!
The other thing that I would say in hindsight (having got home from my little session in the sandpit) is that it is light with a capital "L". Very easy to hold in one hand for an extended period of time (> 10') and type with the other in either orientation.
Oh, and the screen ratio and size are very pleasing: smaller than the iPad without being too small.
Hey, thanks for the report. I suppose they'll be in U.S. stores tomorrow. You're inspiring me to check it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaneur
I suppose they'll be in U.S. stores tomorrow.
And I suppose that you're correct. 8 AM to be precise.
Good news. May your subways be running and the scalpers be behind you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaneur
Good news. May your subways be running and the scalpers be behind you.
Thanks!
I know that some subways are running, I'm not sure about the scalper situation though. I have a feeling that with all of these frequent Apple product releases and multi country launches that they'll be far less of them, if there are any of them at all.
I think that's the thing, if you are coming from the iPad (3) you will see the visual difference but if you are coming from an iPad 1 or 2 it will be an improvement in several ways that you will notice.
I hadn't intended on being interested in this device since I do love the Retina display on my iPad (3) but the size and weight, and one pic have made me want to at least go to an Apple store to see it tomorrow evening... and I'm saying this as someone who is shocked by nothing about this product's design, weight, size, OS, display, save for the lack of colour options.
PS: I don't expect to see a Retina version until 2014 but I hope I'm wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarrenHD
I don't know why people think the screen would be bad. I have an original iPad and I think the screen is very good. 1024x768 is very usable and websites, media, and other content look totally fine. The mini screen should look a bit better than an iPad2 or original iPad screen.
If this if your first iPad or you are upgrading from iPad 1 or iPad 2 then the screen is excellent, especially compared to most digital displays.
If you already own the iPad 3 the mini's screen is definitely much less crisp - but this might be offset by the increased portability and substantially lower weight. Each to their own.
It's definitely not a bad screen but nonetheless a compromise to achieve a price point and avoid cannibalising full size iPad sales.
I've got a feeling (based on nothing more than my funny-bone and recent - generally unexpected - upgrades) that the screen display may/will be upgraded in 6 months' time.
As to the weight, the ("new" A6X) iPad is noticeably heavier than the iPad Mini, but has an amazing display. Horses for courses, I dare say.
No probs: my pleasure, literally! It was nifty standing in the Apple Store and posting about the iPad Mini - using the iPad Mini itself :smokey:.
Cheers,
Alex.
PS, not sure why the original temporal order of the two quotes got reversed - possibly a javascript flaw in the browser...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shameer Mulji
how do you find the screen compared to iPad 1 / 2? Is it bad as some of the reviews make it out to be?
Better than ipad2, not as good as 3/4
My mini goes to my boy. I would prefer it over my ipad2. I have never been impressed *enough* with the retina screen to upgrade. Its great on the iphone, not overly concerned on the ipad.
The mini is nice. It doesnt feel as 'solid' as the ipad2/3/4 - these feel 'dense', heavy, solid. The mini feels so light, its possibly as light as they can go without it feeling hollow/cheap. The shiny back does not feel as good as the back of the larger ones. Screen is nice. The verge comemtns about the software to prevent accidental touching, and I see what they mean, some touches just dont work.
The bonded screen is nicer than the ipad2, and the buttons are smaller, but nice.
I just need to hold out for gen2, with retina and/or A6
Local store sold out of white early on, black was available - which was good, as I wanted black.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cycomiko
Better than ipad2, not as good as 3/4
My mini goes to my boy. I would prefer it over my ipad2. I have never been impressed *enough* with the retina screen to upgrade. Its great on the iphone, not overly concerned on the ipad.
Awesome. Thanks. This is a great device but I think I'll wait till they put, at the very least, an A6 processor & 1GB of RAM. Retina would be awesome but not a must have in this device.