Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad Mini With Retina Display Now In Select Stores

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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has taken another step in its rollout of the new iPad Mini with Retina display. The company started with stealthily opening preorders for the tablet, which analysts agree is probably subject to extreme supply constraints. Then it started offering them for pickup in Apple retail stores. Now Cantor Fitzgerald analysts report that the iPad Mini with Retina display is now available for walk-in customers in a handful stores in New York.

Apple’s Retina iPad Mini was the “stealthiest” launch

Analyst Brian J. White calls the launch of the Retina iPad Mini the “stealthiest” launch Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has ever done. The company began accepting preorders on Nov. 11 and 12, and then it started offering a “Personal Pickup” option late last week. Availability on that option was quite limited, according to White. He says this third phase of Apple’s “stealth launch” involves launching it in “a very small number of Apple Retail stores.”

Today he reports that late last night, Apple’s Fifth Avenue location in New York received some shipments of the iPad Mini with Retina display to put on sale for walk-in customers. A few other Apple stores in New York City received some this morning, including the Upper West Side location and the 14th Street location. White suggests that this means we could start seeing some other stores receiving shipments over the next week. However, he reports that they have not yet seen any retail stores where the iPad Mini with Retina display is available for walk-in customers that are not in New York City.

Will Apple roll the Retina iPad Mini out further next week?

The big question now is whether more Apple retail story will be receiving the coveted tablet next week, which is the week of Black Friday. White had been hoping that today would be the day that it would launch in “mass volume” at Apple stores, but availability seems to still be limited. He continues to believe that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will have to make the iPad Mini with Retina display available in volume on Black Friday. He suggests that this could be possible because of this week’s limited launch in New York.

He continues to rate Apple as a Buy with a $777 per share price target.

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