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iPad Mini ship times improves to one week
The wait time for the diminutive tablet via Apple's online store has dropped to one week from two weeks previously.
The iPad Mini.
(Credit: Apple)Consumers looking for an iPad Mini now stand a better chance of grabbing one for the holidays.
The wait time for the 7-inch tablet through the Apple online store just dropped to one week from two weeks. The new estimate applies to all variations of the Mini, from the 16GB Wi-Fi-only edition to the 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version.
The shorter ship time comes amidst reports that production of the new tablet had been hampered by manufacturing challenges at panel supplier AU Optronics. Apple uses both AU and LG Display to make the Mini's display panels. A recent DigiTimes story said that AU's percentage of the panels had fallen, though the manufacturer has rebutted those claims.
Several analysts have also tagged the Mini as a cannibal, stealing sales from its more sizable siblings and accounting for a bigger piece of Apple's tablet pie.
Even facing possible production issues and heavy demand, supply of the iPad Mini finally seems to be picking up some steam.
Still, the small tablet isn't yet as readily available as the 4th-generation model or the iPhone 5. Apple's site shows the iPad 4 as in stock and immediately available and the iPhone 5 with a ship time of only two to four days.
