Apple offering Retina iPad mini to walk-in US customers, unlocked 5s via online store

Apple is offering the new Retina iPad mini to walk-in customers across its retail stores in the US, according to 9to5Mac. The company initially allowed for Personal Pickup orders only, but is now allowing users to walk out of its retail stores with the tablet in tow. While the Personal Pickup option is still available online, online orders are expected to ship in five or 10 days from Apple’s website.

It is currently unclear of the stock quantity that will be available to walk-in customers across retail stores, given earlier reports suggesting that Apple was having trouble procuring Retina displays for its new tablet. Regional carriers have also announced the availability of cellular models in-store and online. One of the carriers, Bluegrass Cellular, is offering the iPad mini Wi-Fi+Cellular at $530 for the 16GB model. The 32GB and the 64GB models are also available.

Now walk out with one of your own

Another regional carrier, C Spire Wireless, will begin to sell the Retina iPad mini over the next week. US Cellular has also begun offering cellular modes on its website. Apple has also released an unlocked GSM version of the iPhone 5s on its online store in the US. The version will come with the same specifications of locked models, but will not come with a SIM card. The biggest advantage of an unlocked iPhone is that it can work on most GSM networks across the world, definitely a boon for the globetrotters who wish to pick the phone up.

The SIM-free iPhone 5s comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants for $649, $749 and $849 respectively.  Users can pick from the same space grey, silver and gold colours that have been seen earlier. The models will ship in 1-2 weeks from Apple’s online store. They should become available in Apple retail stores in the coming weeks. Unlocked versions of both iPhones are currently available in India. While the 5s starts at Rs 53,500 for the 16GB model, the 5c will set you back Rs 41,900.

Apple, during the international launch weekend, saw the 5s inventory running out of stock within hours of the store being opened. In India too, it was reported that the 5s sold out within days, and retailers are now taking pre-bookings for the high-end device. The 5c, on the other hand, has had steady supply since its launch. Taking into consideration that the 5s has been seen greater demand among users, Apple recently ordered its suppliers to cut down on production for the budget iPhone 5c.