iPad minis begin shipping ahead of tomorrow's launch — has yours?

Ipad Mini 6 Comics (Image credit: Rene Ritchie)

What you need to know

A day before going on sale, some iPad mini orders have shipped.
Pre-orders for the new tablet began more than a week ago.
Some iPad mini orders are yet to ship, however.

Apple's new iPad mini will go on sale tomorrow alongside the iPhone 13 and some buyers of the tablet are reporting that their orders have finally shipped.

Those who placed iPad mini orders in time to guarantee a September 24 delivery should see those orders ship soon if they haven't already done so.

Pink iPad mini and Dark Cherry folio have changed their relationship status to shipped. Their wedding is set for tomorrow. I can't stop crying.#iPadMini6Pink iPad mini and Dark Cherry folio have changed their relationship status to shipped. Their wedding is set for tomorrow. I can't stop crying.#iPadMini6— 𝚓 𝚊 𝚍 𝚎 (@OldManJade) September 23, 2021 September 23, 2021

aaaah my iPad mini shippedaaaah my iPad mini shipped— Luis 🫧 (@hloluis) September 23, 2021 September 23, 2021

It appears that most of the iPad minis that have shipped had their status change within the last couple of hours, so it's likely Apple is still working through orders — try not to panic if your order is yet to ship!

Never pre-ordered a new #Apple product - got the new iPad Mini and v excited!

When purchased, said it would be delivered Friday. It still says that, but hasn’t shipped yet, two nights before. Normal?Never pre-ordered a new #Apple product - got the new iPad Mini and v excited!

When purchased, said it would be delivered Friday. It still says that, but hasn’t shipped yet, two nights before. Normal?— Zach Hall (@zachhall_) September 23, 2021 September 23, 2021

The new iPad mini is similar to the iPad Air but in a smaller chassis with an 8.3-inch display. It's set to be a great little tablet and will be the best iPad for all kinds of use cases including pilots, students, and those looking to pick up an iPad for a child.

The new tablet will go on sale alongside the new iPhone 13 mini lineup in what will surely be a busy weekend for Apple Stores around the world.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.