With the iPad Air now on sale and sales outselling the previous model by over three times (according to reports), it's clear that it's a success. There is however a question that remains... would the iPad Air have sold as well if the iPad mini with Retina display went on sale at the same time?
We know the iPad mini with Retina display is in short supply, due to some manufacturing difficulties and display shortages, but there was more than likely enough supply to begin an initial rollout at least in the U.S., Canada, and possibly the UK. So why would Apple only announce the mini's release as "Later in November?" It’s simple, because the Air needed some breathing room to gain traction and to prevent the Mini from cannibalizing its sales.
There's no way around it, the mini (and for that matter other 7–8-inch tablets) has become extremely popular, whether because of portability, comfort, or some other unknown reason. With the much requested Retina display finally being added to the iPad mini, Apple knows that people would probably choose the mini over the full-size iPad Air, for several reasons. One, it's cheaper. Two, it has the same resolution, but great pixel density. And three, it features all of the same hardware as the full-size iPad in a more compact, portable size.
By not announcing a firm release date, uneducated consumers (those that don't know a new Retina-equipped iPad mini are on the way) are left with fewer options; and when they see a new iPad in their local store, they'll likely not wait it out and will ultimately purchase the new, full-size iPad Air. As you can see from recent reports, the demand for the new iPad Air has been incredible; but I'd be willing to bet that demand for the mini will be greater. Which makes Apple's decision to hold off on the mini's release a smart one, when it comes to money. However, for those of us (myself included) that have been waiting for the new iPad mini, it just creates more frustration.
What do you all think? Was Apple's decision to hold off on the mini's release simply because of a lack of supply, or do you agree that Apple did this as a calculated business decision?