A Retina iPad Mini Might Be in Short Supply

Hoping for an iPad mini with Retina display this holiday season? Not so fast. According to Reuters, Apple's supply chain is only now prepping for the new gadgets, meaning a Retina iPad mini will be in short supply.

Though Apple is rumored to be unveiling its next-gen iPads later this month, Reuters says a Retina iPad mini probably won't be available "in large volumes" until 2014. That doesn't mean Cupertino won't unveil a Retina iPad mini this year, but that it might be hard to get your hands on one for several months.

Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

This is not the first time we've heard about problems with a smaller Retina display. This summer, a Taiwanese news report sparked rumors that the 7.9-inch device would not hit shelves until early next year. Another August report suggested that Apple initially avoided a Retina display in order to preserve battery life and thinness, but would forge ahead with a display from Samsung nonetheless.

The existing iPad mini sports a 1,024-by-768 touch screen — the same as the iPad 2. When Cupertino launched it in the fall of 2012, it became an instant hit. The only complaint, it seemed, was that the device fell short of its competitors in the display department. Apple's high-definition Retina display is currently available on the latest iPhones, larger iPads, and new MacBooks.

Backlogs of popular Apple products, of course, are nothing new. More recently, iPhone fans have been trying in vain to get their hands on the new gold iPhone 5s, but the smartphone won't ship for another few weeks.

Earlier this week, meanwhile, Chinese parts supplier sw-box.com posted a video of what it says is the shell for the next larger iPad 5, which takes a few cues from the iPad mini.

For more, see PCMag's review of the iPad mini.