Just in time for the holidays, the iPad is now available in stocking-stuffer size.

After 15 or so minutes of undisguised self-congratulations at their press announcement, Apple released a slew of new products yesterday, including the highly-anticipated 7.9″ iPad mini. In a move that surprised many industry insiders, Apple also released a 4th generation of 9.7″ iPads. Last year, the tablet market had a huge impact on Black Friday sales. For Black Friday 2011, we saw the highest overall sales of any product we featured on this iPad 2 deal. Additionally, Android tablets were huge sellers over the entire Black Friday weekend. As we enter into a more mature tablet marketplace, how is this latest release going to impact Black Friday 2012 shopping?

Timing

The iPad mini will be available for preorders on October 26 and in-store on November 2. Apple has never released a new model of the iPad this close to the holidays, and the iPad mini is the biggest shakeup to the iPad lineup ever. The iPad is also arguably one of the most giftable Apple products, so this late October announcement is no coincidence.  The fact that the lower price point will make the iPad mini a gifting possibility for more people is also no coincidence. The full-size, generation 4 iPad starts at $500, while the iPad mini starts at $329. (more…)