Apple's (AAPL 0.64%) latest and greatest iPad, the Air, launched on Friday, and reports suggest that there was plenty of inventory to go around. These days, an Apple product launch that doesn't face supply constraints is a rare occurrence. That's good news for Apple, since the iPad Air promises to boost demand for Apple's full-sized product. Still, consumers are awaiting official word on when the iPad Mini with Retina display might be available.
The latest speculation comes from an internal product listing spotted at Target, suggesting that November 21 may be the date to circle on the calendar. If true, that would put the smaller tablet's launch about three weeks from now -- and before Black Friday.
Previous reports have suggested that Sharp is bottlenecking Retina iPad Mini production. Now, Apple has reportedly turned to Samsung for 7.9-inch Retina panels, despite its best efforts to wean its supplier relationship with its biggest smartphone rival. The last thing that Apple wants is to feed Samsung demand forecasts for the Retina iPad Mini, but Samsung is such a heavyweight in component markets that it's hard to avoid the South Korean conglomerate.
In this segment of Tech Teardown, Erin Kennedy discusses Apple's new iPad Mini with Jamal Carnette and Evan Niu, CFA.
