Apple Store Down Ahead of iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 Pre-Orders

Apple has taken its online store down to prepare for the launch of iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 pre-orders. When Apple announced the two new tablets, it said pre-orders would be available starting on October 17, although the company did not specify when exactly pre-orders would start.

Given the short amount of time between the announcement of the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 and the start of pre-orders, it is unclear whether other retailers and carriers will be prepared to offer iPad pre-orders.

ipadmini3ipadair2comparison
Apple's iPad Air 2, which includes several upgrades like Touch ID, an A8X chip, an improved camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and an anti-reflective screen, is available in 16, 64, and 128GB capacities. Pricing in the United States starts at $499 for the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi only model and goes as high as $849 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB model.

The iPad mini 3, which has been updated with Touch ID and a new gold color option, is also available in 16, 64, and 128GB configurations. Pricing for the iPad mini 3 begins at $399 for the Wi-Fi only 16GB model and goes as high as $729 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular 128GB model.

Apple has not announced when the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 will be in stores or when the two tablets will begin shipping out to customers, giving only an availability date of "later next week."

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...

Top Rated Comments

ghsDUDE Avatar
144 months ago
The iPad Air 2 is the only reasonable upgrade. I can't believe what they did to the Mini 3.

With 5 options Apple's iPad lineup is a mess.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
144 months ago
It seems fairly obvious -- why emphasize a spec that, by design, they intend to upgrade very slowly to preserve margins, and is also poorly understood by non-tech savvy consumers, the bulk of Apple's market.

It's obvious they don't want to talk about it (Ars Technica asked yesterday but Apple refused to say). Yet there's plenty they talk about that non-tech savvy consumers wouldn't understand. Apple should be able to own the decisions they make. If they feel 1GB RAM is sufficient in the iPad then own it, don't hide it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nozuka Avatar
144 months ago
with ipads you can usually just walk into a store and get one on launch day..
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Royksöpp Avatar
144 months ago
I think they need to cull a couple from their lineup and keep things simple. Although cheaper iPads do get people into the ecosystem, it just seems complex, especially for people who aren't a member of a forum like this and know tech. Apple prided themselves on simplicity.

Steve Jobs would have bitch slapped the person who came up with the idea of selling 5 iPads simultaneously.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mlody Avatar
144 months ago
When I see those messages "apple store down" I think, what a bunch of amateurs. Who does this stuff like this in this time and age? Don't they have development and stage environments where they can update the sites internally ahead of time and test everything and just make the new stuff available in the flip of the switch?
I do not think of any e-comerce website that shuts down its operations for several hours just to put 2 new products online? Doesn't that hurt the revenue? Imagine if Amazon was down for half a day so they could add few new products? It seems like Apple still in 90's when it comes to this process - unbelievable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
144 months ago
Was just going to report this.

About freaking time - I've been refreshing and trying to buy it for the past 2 hours now. I don't want to be one of the people who gets an estimated delivery time of December - my fiancee's birthday is in late November and this is what I plan to get her (she's been asking for one for the past 2 years. I just got a pay raise this year, so now is the time.)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)