Even without Steve Jobs, Apple continues to mystify.
The gadget giant surprised investors and analysts Tuesday by announcing that its new iPad Mini with retina display would go on sale the same day, starting at $399 in the US.
Apple said last month the device would hit sometime in November, but the exact date wasn’t known. The company usually alerts the market at least a week in advance of any product launch to drum up excitement.
Given that the crucial holiday sales season is looming, the “stealth” announcement raised questions as to whether Apple is low on supply or pulling a sales gimmick.
The iPad Mini isn’t yet available in New York area stores, according to a sales associate at Apple’s Upper West Side store.
“It’s not in stock. You have to order online,” the sales rep told The Post, adding that this applies to all area stores. “It was just released so will take time for us to get the shipment.”
The iPad Mini is also available through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and other authorized re-sellers.
The Mini is expected to be a hot holiday sale item — so much so that some analysts have questioned whether it could cannibalize sales of the larger, more expensive iPad Air.
With retina display, the Mini is now competitive with the iPad Air, but at a $100 discount.
Apple is predicting shipping times of five to 10 day for most Mini products, up from one to three days initially. That is also slightly longer than the five to seven day wait for the iPad Air.
“In our view, if you want an iPad Mini with retina display in the near term, you had better order soon as we expect shortages this holiday season,” said Brian White, an Apple analyst with Cantor Fitzgerald.