By Rik Henderson | Pocket-lint –
In a surprise move to many, Apple has quietly released the iPad mini with Retina display. It is now available on the online Apple Store and, in the UK, it will be dispatched within one to 3 days.
There has been no fanfare and we haven’t even had a press release on its availability from Apple yet here at Pocket-lint, but go to the store and you will see it is available to buy. The 16GB and 32GB Wi-Fi-only models are both available with the one to three day turnaround, all others state that they will take between five and 10 days to ship.
READ: iPad mini with Retina display pictures and hands-on
Some had been suggesting that the delay and Apple’s constant “later in November” release date was down to burn-in issues with some of the 7.9-inch Retina display panels, but the fact that Apple is now listing the new tablets – and before the much-rumoured release date of 21 November – gives an indication that this was never a problem for the company.
The iPad mini with Retina display starts at £319 for the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model and rises to £659 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular version. All are now available at store.apple.com. We expect them to fly out the door, so don’t dally if you absolutely must have one.
READ: iPad Air vs iPad mini with Retina display: The choice is harder than you think
We’ve asked Apple for an official comment and are awaiting a response.
© copyright Pocket-lint 2013