Apple today activated in-store pickup for its new iPad mini and iPad Air models in the United States, Canada, Australia, and select other countries.
This feature enables customers to purchase a new iPad on Apple.com and pick it up at a nearby Apple Store at a designated time. The tool can also be used to monitor inventory of the new iPads at Apple Stores based on zip or postal code, with both models currently available for pickup today at many locations.
To view in-store inventory, head to the iPad mini or iPad Air product pages, choose a color and other options, and select "see availability in other stores." To place an order for in-store pickup, proceed with the checkout process as usual and it will be presented as an option along with standard delivery.
The new iPad mini and iPad Air are very similar. Both tablets feature Apple's recent A12 Bionic chip, Retina displays with True Tone, first-generation Apple Pencil support, 64GB or 256GB storage, Touch ID, up to 10 hours of battery life, an 8-megapixel rear camera, two speakers, and optional Gigabit-class LTE.
The new iPad mini's only notable differences versus the new 10.5-inch iPad Air are its smaller 7.9-inch screen and lack of Smart Keyboard compatibility. The new iPad mini also has a lower starting price of $399 versus $499 for the new iPad Air.
Apple is currently quoting an April 15-17 delivery estimate for standard ship-to-home orders, so in-store pickup looks to be a quicker option.
The new AirPods are also available for Apple Store pickup.
