Retina-equipped iPad Mini faces delays, says report
The rumored tablet will only be available in limited supply this year, according to Apple suppliers cited by Reuters.
Apple's plans to offer an iPad Mini with a Retina display could be in jeopardy, according to a new report.
The company has only recently asked its supply chain to start producing an iPad Mini with Retina in large quantities, potentially causing the device to be in short supply this year, Reuters is reporting, citing people in the Apple supply chain.
Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple wants to deliver its high-resolution Retina display to the iPad Mini sooner rather than later. Amazon recently unveiled its Kindle Fire HDX featuring a similarly equipped high-resolution display, putting pressure on Apple to respond. According to Reuters, the company wants to respond soon, but getting enough devices to store shelves could prove troublesome.
Apple will unveil the new iPad Mini this month, according to Reuters' sources. Those people did not say what other features might come to the smaller slate.
Exactly why Apple is having trouble getting Retina to the iPad Mini hasn't been clearly identified. According to Reuters, it's heard several stories from supply chain members, including word that Apple wanted to reduce costs first and that Apple took too long to certify panel producers.
For its part, Apple hasn't confirmed that it'll even be launching a new iPad Mini, let alone one with a Retina display. However, over the last couple of years, the rumor mill has been somewhat accurate at predicting Apple's next moves, and the fact that its top competitors are already offering high-resolution displays makes it increasingly likely Retina will be coming to the next iPad Mini.
This story has been updated throughout the morning.