A product listing for the Retina iPad mini with a release date of November 21 has appeared on Target.com, suggesting Apple's new tablet could make its debut on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Thus far, Apple has not provided a prospective release date for its iPad mini with Retina Display, offering up only broad November launch plans.
While the November 21 launch date listed on the Target website could be a simple guess by the company, it is a logical release day for the tablet because it falls before Thanksgiving and more importantly, before Black Friday, which is a major shopping holiday in the United States.
A late November launch also gives Apple an opportunity to focus its attention on the iPad Air for the majority of the month. It is unclear, however, why Apple would choose to launch the Retina mini on a Thursday, as product releases typically fall on a Friday.
Apple's Retina iPad mini, which includes an A7 processor, is said to be in very short supply. According to a recent report, stock of the Retina iPad mini will be "ridiculously tight" until early 2014.
Though supplies of the Retina mini will be low, Apple is said to have a large quantity of iPad Airs available for purchase, which will likely alleviate some of the demand for the smaller tablet. Apple's iPad Air will go on sale this Friday, with online orders beginning at 12:01 AM in the United States and at varying times in other countries.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
It's been a hard choice but I think that the easiest way to differentiate the iPad Air from the iPad mini has been obvious all along. Focus on your main use.
Mostly using it for consumption stuff like browsing, reading books, light app use? iPad mini is more portable, easier to hold longer and carry around. Using an iPad for work, need to type often or draw on its screen? The larger screen on the iPad Air is better for work, specially if you plan on using it as a laptop replacement.
Content consumption versus production is the key to the choice between the Air versus the mini. It's not a flawless method but it's very useful.
I've replaced my MacBookPro 17" with a top spec iMac 27" and was looking at a MacBookAir for mobile use but have held off because of a hunch that the iPad would get powerful enough by this generation to run desktop class apps. I wasn't wrong: iLife and iWork are now featured matched to the Mac, Logic has its companion app and Aperture is a good candidate for one as well. I think that an iPad Air can fulfill the role of a MacBookAir for most practical purposes.
iPad is a consumption device plain and simple. (...)
The Air is great, but not for productivity!
Tell that to all the doctors, farmers, airline pilots, on site engineers, photographers, musicians, store/cafe/restaurant/food truck/name-a-small-business owners who depend on iPads to make their work easier and better performing each and every day.
iPads have grown to replace laptops for many professionals. If there are outdated websites that don't run on webkit, then they either need to catch up or find themselves replaced by competing products.
As a photographer, I will use an iPad in the studio in a client's hands as I shoot so they can see the results instantly and make suggestions. I will use an iPad in the field, making quick edits for use on my client's social media and for backing JPGs to my Dropbox. If Aperture X does for iPad what Logic X did, in the studio, I will use an iPad to quickly control the heads up display sliders and curve graphs via touch to make it so much faster to optimize a photograph.
I am actually switching from a mini to an air for this release cycle. I love my mini but I have always said an 'in between' would be perfect for me. So I am picking up an iPad Air Friday. If it is still too big for my needs, my wife will hopefully appreciate her Christmas present of a nice slightly used Air! The delay of the release helped push me over the edge into trying this new slimmer model.
