Next iPad mini ships 'later' in November? Not worth the wait

I was two bites into my falafel wrap, and I decided to buy the refurbished iPad mini.

Unless you've been avoiding the Internet all morning up until this very moment, then you are probably already aware that Apple introduced its latest batch of iPads this morning.

As demonstrated by a previous rant, I've been waiting for this day for 364 days. (The last iPad debut was on October 23, 2012.) Last year, it looked like Apple was positioning itself for a six-month upgrade cycle rather than a year between each generation. Obviously, that wasn't the case.

The darling of Tuesday's invite-only show was by far and away the new iPad Air, the fifth iteration of the iOS tablet that has the design aesthetic of the original iPad mini, weighs only a pound, and yet still fits a 9.7-inch Retina display on there.

Admittedly, a Retina display was the one tech spec that caused me to hold out for an entire year for the second-generation of the mini.

But if we're really being honest, the price point was the make-or-break factor. That isn't to say the new iPad mini unveiled with its long-awaited Retina display doesn't justify the $399 price tag. (That debate could warrant an entirely separate article.)

After tracking iPad mini rumors and supply chain reports for 12 months now -- not to mention stalking the list of refurbished models available via Apple's online store just in case something caught my eye -- I wasn't entirely convinced that I should shell out $400 for a 7.9-inch tablet.

And if hasn't come across already, I've become entirely impatient waiting around for it either.

One difference in detail between the iPad Air and iPad mini availability notes struck me as a tad odd. The iPad Air, which Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller remarked had taken years in the making to produce, is already to go next Friday, November 1.

However, the iPad mini doesn't have a definite ship date yet, only labeled as "coming later in November."

I have never waited in line for an Apple launch day -- or any retail-related event as I hate shopping in stores, amid crowds no less, like the plague. I'll admit I was completely willing to do so if the launch was in the next week or so.

Given that Apple has not pinned down a date in the calendar yet, I can't help but be suspicious that all of those reports about supply chain delays and more are at least somewhat true -- meaning the iPad mini could be delayed even longer for all we know.

Immediately as the event concluded, I began to ponder my other options. My heart has already been set on the form factor of the iPad mini for awhile, and combined with my aforementioned budget concerns, I mentally crossed off the iPad Air from the list. (Not to mention that aside from the new display as well as the A7 processor, the rest of the device is pretty much the same as before.)

Thus, that brought be back to the original iPad mini. A brand new copy starts at $299, which is a fair deal considering the price before this morning was $329.

But that's when I decided to give the refurbished list another look.

Before today, a refurbished Wi-Fi only iPad mini in silver/white with 16GB of space was listed for $279. Today, the price dropped to $249. Aside from Mac OS X Mavericks rolling out for free, that is the deal of the day.

I told myself that I would give it my lunch break to think it over. That's when I bit into my falafel wrap and realized I had already made up my mind 10 minutes prior.

You could call it an impulse buy a year in the making. At least now the deal is done, and I finally have an iPad mini -- or at least I will when it arrives next Tuesday.

Images via Apple