Post date: Nov 02, 2012 10:57:44 AM
The latest gadget from Apple, the iPad Mini, goes on sale for the first time in Germany
MUNICH, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 2, 2012) (REUTERS) - More than 100 Apple fans waited for hours in front of the Apple store in Munichon Friday (November 2) for the launch of the iPad Mini, the latest addition to the Applefamily.
Despite some of the Apple enthusiasts having waited for over 30 hours to get their hands on the coveted gadget, fewer fans turned out than for the launch of Apple's previous product iPhone 5. It was about 500 people then compared to about 150 now.Priced at 329 euros (424 USD), the Apple product is at least 150 USD more expensive than Amazon's Kindle Finer and Google's Nexus 7, both released at 199 USD.
The novelties of the iPad Mini are a 7.9 inch display and a powerful A5 chip. The 7.9 inch weighs in at 308 grams (10.86 ounces), half the weight of the parent tablet and is barely hand-held
"If you took a notebook and the old iPad along with you, they were quiet big and you had to drag an extra kilo along. Now with only 300 grammes, it fits in the pocket of your trousers or your jacket," said Balasz Gal who has waited for 30 hours to get his new iPadMini.
The lightweight iPad mini marks Apple's first foray into the smaller-tablet segment.
The company hopes to beat back incursions into its home territory - carved out with the original iPad's launch in 2010 - with 7-inch slates that are popular with consumers, even as it safeguards its lead in a larger tablet space that even deep-pocketed rivals like Samsung have found tough to penetrate.
The iPad mini has won mostly positive reviews for its ability to wrap most of the functions of its full-sized iPad sibling into a smaller package.
However with sales numbers yet to be released by Apple it remains to be seen how much customer demand exists for the gadget.
Today's iPad mini release is a Wi-fi only version available in 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB models, a Wi-Fi + cellular data version will be released through Japanese local carriers in late November.