iPad mini on sale in Singapore

SINGAPORE: The new iPad mini was launched in Singapore on Friday, once again drawing crowds of Apple fans.

The queues may have been shorter compared with the launch of the iPhone 5 in September, but Apple’s latest product still caused quite a stir.

Apple stores islandwide saw crowds of eager customers, with some queuing as early as 8pm on Thursday.

Within two—and—a—half hours after the store opened, the iPad minis were sold out at EpiCentre, one of Singapore’s Apple product distributors.

The new iPad mini is smaller (measuring 7.9 inches diagonally compared to 9.7 inches on the original iPad) and is half the weight of the iPad. It weighs 308 grams and is 0.28—inch thick —— thinner than a pencil’s diameter.

Singapore is so far the only country in Southeast Asia to stock the iPad mini, drawing avid Apple fans from abroad.

Harry Soeria, an Indonesian tourist, said: "(I) came from Indonesia specifically just to get the iPad mini. This is what I need —— I think the size fits me better, I can take it everywhere I go."

"This would be the last thing I touch before I go to bed and the first thing I touch when I wake up," he added.

Only the WiFi model of the iPad mini is available for now.

The 3G version of the device will only be out at the end of November.

— CNA/ck