The iPad mini was arguably the star of the show during Apple's media event yesterday in San Jose. The shrunken tablet is expected to go head-to-head against Google's recently-released Nexus 7 this holiday season but some Apple customers no doubt felt a bit betrayed due to another announcement.
In addition to the iPad mini, Cupertino unveiled a refreshed full-sized iPad simply known as the fourth generation iPad. This updated slate replaced the A5X processor inside the current iPad with a faster and more refined A6X chip expected to deliver twice as much CPU and GPU performance. There's also a new 720p FaceTime camera, a new Lightning connector and 802.11a/b/g/n dual-band Wi-Fi.
That's all fine and dandy unless you happened to have purchased a third generation iPad recently. That brand new tablet is already outdated after just over six months of being on the market.
All hope isn't lost, however, as CNET is reporting that some Apple retail stores are allowing customers to exchange their iPad for a new model if purchased within the past 30 days. Specifically, the manager at the Stockton Street store is San Francisco is allowing customers to make the swap granted the iPad in question is still in good cosmetic condition.
The manager was only speaking on behalf of her own store. She told the publication that customers will need to call their local Apple Store to inquire about similar policies.
It sounds like this isn't an Apple-wide policy which is a bit unfortunate. Perhaps we will hear something official from Apple in the days leading up to the fourth generation iPad's launch. Either way, it's worth checking with your local store if you find yourself in a similar situation.