Next-gen iPad Mini possibly delayed until 2014 -- report
Supply of Retina Displays is causing the holdup, Taiwan-based DigiTimes reports.
Apple's next-generation iPad Mini might not be available until 2014, a new report claims.
Apple doesn't plan to start mass production on its next-generation iPad Mini until the fourth quarter of 2013, DigiTimes reported on Monday, citing sources within Apple's supply chain. That would mean that the device won't launch until 2014.
The delay is due mainly to the Retina Display, which Apple plans to include in the iPad Mini, the site's sources claim. The display technology isn't difficult to produce, but Apple needs to build up a stockpile in the 7.9-inch size to get the right number of devices onto store shelves. Apple also reportedly is considering designing a nearly bezel-less front to the next-generation iPad Mini.
Although DigiTimes' sources are spotty, to say the least, the report comes weeks after Citi Research reported that a Retina version won't be available until next year. NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim shared the same information last month.
Those looking for a new iPad Mini, however, might not need to wait until next year: DigiTimes sources say that Apple plans to launch an updated version of its current slate in the second half of 2013. That device, however, will not come with a Retina screen.