Brits kept waiting as iPad Mini LTE arrives Stateside
Local fondleslab fans face fortnight of envy
The 4G LTE version of Apple's iPad Mini is set to hit US stores this weekend, and some pre-order customers are already starting to receive their slight slates. But over here buyers are being forced to wait until the end of the month.
With Apple's 4G iPads and iPad Minis said to be rolling into Sprint stores Stateside even as we speak, UK retailers say stock isn't due here until "the end of November", having not yet received a formal arrival date from Apple.
Out over the pond
Even the vendor's own website says nothing more precise than "late November" for iPad Mini LTE availability. It's the same for 4G-enabled iPad 4.
Let's hope Blighty-bound iPad Minis aren't blagged in an airport heist.
Either way, if you do fancy splashing out in advance, over here the 4G iPad Mini costs £369, £449 or £529, for 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage, respectively. You should, in all likelihood, get your hands on it before we start cracking open the Advent calendars. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Want to wait?
"That Nexus is lacking one or two extras that the iPad has - you know, minor things like cellular radio "
ok...
sub 720p 32Gb iPad with GPS + 3G = £449
720p 32Gb Nexus 7 with GPS + 3G = £239
fixed that for you.
maybe you'd care to explain this while you're here...
Extra 16Gb in a Nexus = £40
Extra 16Gb in an iPad mini = £80
3G in a Nexus = £40
3G in an iPad = £100
So 16Gb wi-fi to 32Gb 3G is £80 in a Nexus and £180 in an iPad.
those extra iPad fart apps... wow... worth it, aren't they?
am I missing something?
If you buy direct from Apple, you won't get a 4G sim?
Am I missing something, but, I can't see any sim-only deals on the EE website...
Even if you buy from EE, on one of their hideously expensive contracts, you can only use them in a handful of places. I live in one of the chosen few cities, although not in an area of that city that can get 4G. So, can't use it at home, or work.
In fact, seems the only places you can get 4G are city centres, where there are lots of Costa Coffees and Starbucks.
Ahh... tablets for baristas.
May as well buy a 3G tablet for a lot less, or just stick to wi-fi as most people will only use them at home.
Want to wait?
Just maybe no one wants it?
sub 720p iPad with GPS = approx £380 (+3G)
720p Nexus 7 with GPS = £160
Worth the wait?
Re: Want to wait?
Sorry, what is tablet optimised? A tablet and smartphone are the same thing, just that one has the addition of a phone. If you're referring to size, then by that logic, there are no apps optimised for the ipad mini yet. If apps designed for a 5" phone don't work well, then apps designed for a 10" ipad won't work either. Just because they label it a tablet doesn't magically make them work the same.
But android has the advantage, since there have long been many sizes of phones/tablets, developers design them to be scaled, as any competent developer does on any platform. On ios, we have apps only designed for a small iphone or 10" device. Also 7" android tablets have already been released for ages, whilst apple said they'd never do one.
Oh, and by your logic, most the iphone apps won't work well on the latest apple phone, as they were all designed for 3.5".
To bring this thread back on topic (isn't that what the comments section is for?), I have been wondering if Apple will be prioritising shipments based on when they were ordered. Or will they have enough stock to ship them all out roughly at the same time regardless of when they were ordered?
Because of course, I ordered mine on launch day so I want it first!!
