The iPad mini officially launches today, and so far it has debuted to shorter lines and less excitement than previous Apple product launches. Reuters reports that launches in Sydney, Australia, Tokyo, and Seoul were met with few people waiting in line when the doors opened at 8:00am local time.
In Sydney, Australia, about 50 people waited for the Apple Store to open. In the past, lines typically stretched for several blocks when new iPhones were released. A little more than 100 waited outside of Tokyo and Seoul Apple Stores. When the Hong Kong store opened its doors, there were more staff than those waiting in line.
Lines formed at other locations as well, like Amsterdam, Munich and Florida, but the Covent Garden Apple Store had very few people waiting. The 5th Avenue store in New York City saw lines forming pretty late, but excitement, as expected, is at a minimum due to Hurricane Sandy.
The fourth-generation iPad is also launching today alongside the iPad mini. Both products should be available in retail stores at 8:00am local time. The iPad mini first went on sale for pre-order last week and quickly sold out of the initial stock of most models. The LTE/cellular version of the iPad mini is not yet available, but is expected to arrive in mid-November.
Image Credit: The Globe and Mail