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iPad Mini Release Date: What to Expect

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Apple finally made the iPad Mini launch date official, sending out invites for an iPad Mini event scheduled to take place on October 23rd at the California Theater in San Jose, California. We’ve already taken a look at what to expect and what not to expect from the launch event itself, and now it’s time to take a closer look at the iPad Mini’s upcoming release date.

Thus far, Apple has yet to reveal any concrete information about the iPad Mini. However, from various leaks, we think we know quite a bit about Apple’s rumored tablet, the company’s likely competitor to the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD.

The iPad Mini is thought to have a 7.85-inch display, smaller than the regular iPad’s 9.7-inch display, and it’s rumored not to be a Retina Display with lower resolution than the current iPad. The device is also thought to be coming in several different sizes possibly ranging from 8GB to 64GB. Those might be paired with both Wi-Fi only and 4G LTE data options.

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The iPad Mini will launch on October 23rd.

Additionally, the iPad Mini is rumored to have a design that mirrors the iPod touch with thinner bezels as well as a camera or two though the type of camera or cameras remains unknown.

Apple is expected to launch the device on October 23rd with a price tag that competes with Google and Amazon’s tablets. However, at this point, exact pricing remains a mystery.

Fortunately, we now have a date wherein Apple will reveal all of the details, including the iPad Mini release date.  And while we don’t know the exact release date, based on Apple’s tendencies and the past, we can make some predictions about what interested consumers should expect from the iPad Mini release date this fall.

November 1st or November 2nd Release Date Looks Good

If you follow Apple, then you know that the company often follows similar patterns when it comes to releasing its devices: Announcement, followed by a pre-order period, followed by a release. With the iPhone 5 and the third-generation new iPad, Apple announced the devices, offered a quick pre-order and then released the devices nine days after the announcement.

We expect something similar to happen with the iPad Mini. Only problem is, November 1st is on a Thursday and not a Friday, the day Apple typically releases its products.

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We expect the iPad Mini release date to land 9 days after its launch.

Apple has sent out invites for an event set to take place on October 23rd. If the iPad Mini is announced then, which it should be, that means that a likely release date, at least here in the United States would likely either be November 1st or November 2nd.

Of course, nothing is set in stone until Apple makes the announcement, but this is the date to circle in the calendar at this point.

Release Date Given at Announcement

While the release date is clearly still unknown, at the very least, we’ll very likely know exactly when it is come October 23rd. That’s because Apple loves to let its customers know when they will not only be able to order a new device, in this case the iPad Mini, but when they will be able to find it in stores.

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Expect an iPad Mini release date at the event.

Its competitors often launch devices without release dates and pricing, which, can be a deterrent for some customers looking to pick up the device. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why there is always so much interest in these events as Apple answers two important questions: How much a product is going going to cost and when it will be out on shelves.

At the iPad Mini event, expect an official release date and official pricing as well.

If Carriers, Expect the Same Date

There has been a lot of back and forth about whether or not the iPad Mini would feature cellular data, meaning, whether it would be able to connect to the networks of AT&T and Verizon. Today, some evidence surfaced, evidence that indicates that Apple may be planning to offer the iPad Mini with cellular data though its unclear if it will be 3G or if it will be 4G LTE.

The iPhone 5 and the new iPad both sport 4G LTE so it would be surprising to see the iPad Mini sport something different, if it does at all.

That being said, if Apple does announce iPad Mini models with cellular data, expect their release date to be the same as their Wi-Fi only brethren. Carriers always launch Apple products on the same day which makes for an easy, less confusing release.

Chaotic Pre-Order Period

Apple has been rumored to have made some preparations in an effort to quell major supply issues with the iPad Mini after experiencing problems after the launch of the new iPad in March. Whether that pays off remains to be seen but we still expect there to be a little bit of chaos when it comes to the iPad Mini’s likely pre-order period.

At the iPad Mini event, we expect Apple to announce a pre-order date. And on that date, we expect that users will run into some issues. Whether it’s a sell out, or a website buckling under the load – it happened to Apple’s website last year with the new iPad pre-order – we expect something frustrating to happen.

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The new IPad pre-order was a nightmare.

And that chaos will likely lead into a release date where the device will be hard to find on the actual release date, whether online or in-stores. Those who want the device in time for the holidays will be smart to put in a pre-order, if possible.

Short Supply

This will be Apple’s first iPad launch during the holiday season and we expect that it took that into account when it placed orders for the iPad Mini. Still, we expect supply to be limited like it always is with Apple’s iOS products and that means that we strongly recommend placing a pre-order for the iPad Mini ahead of its release date.

Right now, the iPhone 5 is still still hard to find, nearly a month after it launched. The same deal happened with the iPad Mini back in March. If the iPad Mini does get released in November, not placing a pre-order could be a bit risky if the device is a present for a loved one.

So unless braving the crowds on release date sounds like fun, we suggest placing an order on day one if you want the device on its actual release date and not a release date weeks or even a month or so down the road.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. mari

    10/16/2012 at 2:26 pm

    I hope that there will be no 8gb tablet this is ridiculous how much will we be able to store on the device? In my opinion for that I will just get the new kindle that will have 64 gb. Apple has nice items but is always only thinking about how to make more money of the consumers. They have such dedicated consumers yet do nothing to give us more instead always looking how to make more off us. Shame on them.

    • NewNexus7 Owner

      10/17/2012 at 10:56 am

      I got the Kindle Fire HD and returned it after 2 weeks. The Kindle apps store sucks, app multitasking sucks, the volume and on/off buttons are terrible, and the keyboard sucks. But it has a nice screen and the sounds from the speakers. Nexus 7 is much better, but I would rather have the iPad mini.

  2. Mac MacDonald

    10/16/2012 at 4:49 pm

    They would be fools not to put a retina display on this in light of the Kindle Fire HD. Of course Apple is good at nickel and diming you up six months later.

    • NewNexus7 Owner

      10/17/2012 at 11:00 am

      Nickel and diming? You obviously haven’t used the Kindle Fire HD. I got tired of seeing the ads everywhere. It continually showed suggestions of additional books and apps to purchase based on what I had already owned or viewed. To my recollection, the Nexus 7 nor any iOS device doesn’t do that. With Apple stuff, you have a much better selection on 3rd party accessories to chose from. Is that nickel and diming? I call it consumer choice.

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    10/18/2012 at 3:23 am

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