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iPad mini with retina display on sale in UK, ships in 1-3 days

The new Apple iPad mini is on sale online today, starting at £319 and it should be on its way to you by the end of the week.

Nick Hide Managing copy editor
Nick manages CNET's advice copy desk from Springfield, Virginia. He's worked at CNET since 2005.
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Nick Hide
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Apple just plonked its new iPad mini -- the one with the fancy retina display -- on sale here in the UK, and if you hurry it'll be in your hot little hand by the middle of next week. It's only available online for now, with Apple's Regent Street store unable to tell me when they'd have stock.

The new mini starts at £319 for the 16GB version, which Apple promises will be dispatched in 1-3 business days, with delivery estimates today placed at 20-22 November. It's the same wait for the £399 32GB version, but you'll have to hang on a few more days for the more expensive models, or if you want an engraving on the back.

The £479 64GB mini takes 5-10 business days to dispatch, as does the top of the line £559 128GB one. All models with 4G (add £100 to all those previous prices) take the same 5-10 days.

It had been rumoured that the Californian company was struggling to find enough of those pin-sharp 7.9-inch screens, and even suggestions it was turning to Samsung for help in the face of lengthening delays. When the product was launched last month, Apple unusually didn't give an on-sale date, which heightened speculation.

Happily that doesn't seem to have come to pass and here the thing is. We'll certainly keep an eye on stock levels and let you know if it sells out. Last year's iPad mini is still on sale, by the way, starting at £249.

The 326 pixel-per-inch display isn't the only part of the iPad mini Apple has upgraded -- it's also packing the new 64-bit A7 chip and the mysterious M7 motion coprocessor. The A7 chip achieved mighty scores in our tests on the iPhone 5S, so I'll be surprised if it isn't just as impressive in the tablet.

Have you ordered the new mini yet? Should the old one have had this screen? Or are you plumping for the new Nexus 7 instead? Table your motion in the comments below, or on the clean slate of our Facebook page.

Watch this: Apple iPad Mini retina hands-on