It is surprised to everyone that Apple quietly launched the Retina iPad mini in its retail and online stores on this Tuesday since typically, once Apple unveils the tablet at a Tuesday or Wednesday media event, the company waits until the following Friday to officially release its newest device. This strategy almost always created long slithering lines outside its many Apple Stores dotted around the country in the past. Therefore, the release time was predicted on next Friday, Nov. 22nd. Why did Apple quietly launch Retina iPad mini on this Tuesday?

According to my research, Apply was confronted with the supply chain issue. Apple was experiencing issues creating quality panels that met the company’s specifications, and high rejection rates of the new iPad mini’s 7.9-inch Retina display were reportedly the main reason behind such low yields of the tablet. Therefore, Apply maybe was not confident enough to release the new iPad mini with supply constraints. However, nowadays, technology market is more and more competitive. Companies, like Samsung, have also released attractive products to lure customers. With both internal and external problems, can Apple still maintain its leading position?