Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Retina iPad Mini Unlikely to See Widespread Availability in 2013

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,455
30,663



ipad_mini_black-250x311.jpg
Following a report earlier this week from market research firm IHS iSuppli, sources from inside Apple's supply chain have stated that the Apple will be unable to roll out a next-generation version of the iPad mini with a high resolution Retina display this month, reports Reuters. Specifically, the sources are expecting Apple to wait until early next year for a full-fledged launch or make the iPad mini with Retina display available only in very limited quantities this year.
The reason behind the delays in manufacturing the retina display screens for the iPad Mini were unclear. One source at a supplier said there were delays in Apple's certification of panel producers, which were given strict power-saving requirements.

LG Display Co Ltd, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's display unit and Sharp Corp all vied to manufacture the panels, supply chain sources said.
Click to expand...
The news of problems with strict power-saving requirements are consistent with the previously rumored challenges related to the integration of the Retina display and the compact size and exceptional battery life of the iPad mini. Additionally, two of the sources have also stated that Apple has told told suppliers to reduce cost, with one person saying that the company may roll out a separate new iPad mini with 8 GB of storage to compete in emerging markets.

Notably, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed last month that the Retina iPad mini would indeed make an appearance before the end of the year. Apple has been expected to launch its redesigned iPad and a Retina iPad mini in the near future, with Reuters claiming that the unveiling is indeed planned for this month.

Article Link: Retina iPad Mini Unlikely to See Widespread Availability in 2013
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/02/retina-ipad-mini-unlikely-to-see-widespread-availability-in-2013/
M

MTL18

macrumors regular
Jan 25, 2013
205
72
I find this hard to believe...

...miss all the Xmas sales? Isn't that the point of revamping nearly the entire line in the final 4 months of the year?

As someone who was hoping to use one of these as an xmas gift, I hope this is wrong.
 
S

syd430

Guest
This is what Steve was good for. He would of told his team to buckle down and make it happen. Next year would not have been good enough.

Then again Steve wouldn't have released a non-retina iPad mini in the first place.

Edit: yes I'm aware that the iPad 1-2 didn't have a retina display, I meant releasing a non-retina iPad in 2012 after the iPad 3 was already introduced.

And yes I knew I would get flamed for the "Steve would have" comment. I was half joking but you have to admit that Tim likes to take the easy way out more often than not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
WillFisher

WillFisher

macrumors 6502
Feb 19, 2011
387
16
The only thing that I'm worried about is the iPad Mini 2 becoming the iPad 3, having a tonne more pixels, but being a little thicker, heavier and possibly less battery life.

If they can address these issues, I'll be buying one as soon as I can.
 
I

IbisDoc

macrumors 6502a
Apr 17, 2010
527
371
Once they realized that Google had made the current mini even more obsolete than it already was, they just didn't have enough time to produce a retina mini.
 
M

MTL18

macrumors regular
Jan 25, 2013
205
72
syd430 said:
This is what Steve was good for. He would of told his team to buckle down and make it happen. Next year would not have been good enough.

Then again Steve wouldn't have released a non-retina iPad mini in the first place.
Click to expand...

Steve wouldn't release a mini-tablet unless it could cook a 5 course meal. All praise Steve.

:) /s
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,438
43,346
Disappointing to say the least. I wonder if the update to the mini was going to be minor, and given how the competition has leaped frogged them they needed to redesign it.

I think they (apple) has been introducing small updates, while the competition has been shooting for the moon. Apple needs to up its game.
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,438
43,346
gibbz said:
It seems like one week we hear there won't be a retina mini, then the next says we will.
Click to expand...

They need a retina version of the mini, buy you're right the rumors are all over the place.
 
T

troop231

macrumors 603
Jan 20, 2010
5,822
553
guzhogi said:
I get the feeling a part of the problem is if the Mini gets double the resolution, won't it be the same resolution as the full size iPad?
Click to expand...

Yep. Not only would the mini be the same resolution, but it would be higher PPI. Like I said before, if the retina mini happens, as well as the purported 'fat trimmed' iPad 5th generation, then the gap between those two models becomes alot smaller.
 
iMcLovin

iMcLovin

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2009
1,963
898
I think its pathetic. Currently and for some time now, apple hasn´t sold the mac pro in any european stores. In scandinavia you can only buy the 4s iphone currently, and nobody knows when they will make the iphone 5s or 5c available. and, now most probable they will stop selling old ipads once the new one is released, but without any release date for most countries.

So that means that for scandinavians, we will not be able to buy an ipad, or a iphone or a mac pro for months before xmas (so most of what apple makes money on is unavailable in their stores)....that´s serious delivery problems....most companies got this in order before they release anything, or at least they have a release date we can rely on. It´s sad really.
 
rosalindavenue

rosalindavenue

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2003
855
282
Virginia, USA
I don't believe this report for a second. Apple has been very farsighted in supply chain management. I know they could be constrained by yields, etc. but I doubt it. This is a screen res that has been available for a while; it was just too expensive to use in the first mini. I think this is either stock price manipulation, or suppliers who have not been called on to supply this gen.
 
I

iamPro

macrumors regular
May 15, 2009
226
134
WillFisher said:
The only thing that I'm worried about is the iPad Mini 2 becoming the iPad 3, having a tonne more pixels, but being a little thicker, heavier and possibly less battery life.

If they can address these issues, I'll be buying one as soon as I can.
Click to expand...

This exactly. The whole purpose of a mini is it's portability. The thinness and lightness of the current iPad mini combined with the new iOS7 is second to none.

I just couldn't bare the weight of the Nexus 7 despite the higher resolution. No doubt, the screen is nice and I don't mind android too much either, but due to the added heft of the Nexus 7 I'd rather be using my iPad mini.

It's just that hard for an iPad mini user to trade significant weight and size for higher resolution.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom