iPad mini with Retina Display Ready for Orders at Apple Online

After the Apple online store had gone down for a few hours on Monday, November 11, the store came back live on Tuesday, November 12 at midnight ready to accept customer orders for the iPad mini with Retina Display. As there have been much speculations and many reports of potential shortages for the new iPad mini refresh due to difficulties in producing the higher resolution Retina Display, if you’re eyeing the smaller iOS slate, you should order as soon as possible if you hope to receive shipment for the holidays this year.

The iPad mini with Retina Display starts at $399 for 16 GB of WiFi, and prices go up in increments of $100 for additional storage, with capacities coming in at 16, 32, 64, and 128 GB. An additional $130 will be added for models that include built-in 4G LTE for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

Like the iPad Air, the iPad mini this year will come with the latest Apple A7 processor, a Retina Display, and the latest iOS 7 operating system. Neither tablet come with the new Touch ID sensor for biometric fingerprint sensing that debuted on the iPhone 5s.

Orders ordered today are expected to ship in 5-10 business days for most models, according to the Apple Store, with a delivery estimate between November 26 and December 4 via standard shipping. Expedited shipping is available, however you cannot order for pickup at physical Apple Store retail locations and the tablets must be shipped to a home or business address.

The smaller 16 GB and 32 GB WiFi-only models are shipping faster, with shipping estimated within 1 to 3 business days.

In addition to the iPad mini and the iPad Air, Apple had also announced the updated Mac Pro at its most recent keynote announcement. The diminutive desktop is expected to ship in December, according to Apple’s site.