Since the Retina mini was announced, no date has been specified, so it is a little surprising that it's now available on Apple's online store. While there has not been a specific iPad mini 2 release date, what matters is that it is now available starting at $399 for the 16GB edition. 

The Retina mini will be available in both space grey and silver and with storage options from 16GB up to 128GB. Consumers may also get the edition with cellular support. 

For the past couple of months, speculations from several media outfits claim that Apple has been experiencing supply issues for the iPad mini 2 due to its Retina display. And so analysts have predicted that supplies would not be enough to meet the demand this year. In fact, some recent reports say the Cupertino manufacturer went as far as acquiring help from Samsung just to supply the components for the 7.9" slate. 

However, it turned out that Apple may just be holding off the iPad mini 2 release date in order to give way to the bigger iPad Air, which also has its fair share of fans. Releasing both devices at the same time would surely not benefit Apple in the long run. Now that millions of consumers have already decided to get the iPad Air, they might still think of getting the iPad mini 2. 

In case you haven't read anything yet about the Retina mini, it boasts an A7 chip, Retina display, iOS7 and a thinner frame. 

The iPad mini 2 will also be available on major US carriers.