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Since the new iPad mini with Retina quietly launched last week, there really hasn’t been any hubbub for overwhelming sales. At the time, in-store pickup options were limited.
However, there have not been any 48-hour sellouts like there was when the first generation model launched last year. It appears that Apple has finally caught up with demand. Either that, or the tablets just aren’t as popular as they used to be.
Analyst firm Cantor Fitzgerald recently compiled a list of available iPad mini with Retina units and came up with some interesting data. Of the eight versions of the new 7.9-inch tablet, the white/silver 32GB iPad mini with Retina, Wi-Fi is the most abundant of currently stocked devices in Apple retail stores.
The company polled 172 U.S. Apple stores and found that the above-mentioned model has an average of 72 percent availability across the nation. The space gray model follows closely behind with 69 percent availability nationwide. The largest storage capacity of iPad mini, the 128GB model, was nearly out of stock with only seven percent availability amongst the 172 Apple retail store locations.
The overabundance of mid-level storage capacity iPad mini with Retina units could mean one of two things. Either Apple overestimated the demand for the middle tablet, or consumers are much more interested in either the cheapest model, or the biggest capacity model.
It is possible that Apple intentionally ordered more 32GB iPad mini tablets than any other size, predicting that consumers would be more interested in the mid-grade model. When I order t-shirts for my band, I always order twice as many medium and large sized shirts because we regularly sell more of those. It could be that previous iPad orders showed that the 32GB model was the most popular, so Apple ordered lots of extras.
It is also possible that consumers either want bigger or cheaper in regards to the iPad mini. If you are new to the tablet market and don’t really know how much storage you will need, you may decide that 16GB is the right size for you, especially since most documents, applications, and software is now saved in iCloud.
At the same time, consumers who have already been using tablets for a while may decide that they want something with more capacity for large data files, like photos, videos, and high-quality graphics video games. Apple’s iCloud storage only goes so far to keep your tablet freed up. Active tablet users are more likely to spend more money on bigger storage. Plus, the 128GB iPad mini with Retina costs the same as the 64GB iPad Air. If screen size is not an issue, the former is the better deal in this case.
Currently, the 16 and 32GB model of iPad mini with Retina display ships within one to three business days from Apple’s online store. The 64 and 128GB models ship within five to 10 business days. So, the data collected for retail stores appears to be different than what Apple has in stock for its online store. If you want the low storage capacity or high storage capacity model, you may be better off ordering online.
[Via: AppleInsider]
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