Apple has apparently hit the button to order 10 million units of the upcoming iPad mini, according to a new report from the WSJ. The report says that Apple wants the 10 million units to be ready for the fourth quarter of this financial year, meaning that if the order is fulfilled, there will be a substantial numbers of the iPad mini floating around for people to purchase during the holiday season. To put that number in perspective, the report goes on to say that the number is double the initial order for Amazon Kindle Fire.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that, at the launch of the highly anticipated iPhone 5, Apple sold 5 million units over the opening weekend, and by all accounts the iPhone 5 continues to be sold at a staggering rate. If the popularity of the iPad mini reaches that of the iPhone 5, then half of the initial availability of stock could disappear within the first few days. That could make the iPad mini the go-to gift for the holiday season and make it one of the hardest to get hold of this year.
The iPad mini is expected to be announced at an event later this month, possibly the 17th October, and while pricing is still under an intense amount of speculation, it has been suggested that the new device could be priced between $249 -$299 for the base model. This would mean that opening sales of 5 million units wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility.
A Happy Holiday…