Oct. 15, 2012 at 7:00 PM ET
Gazelle, a cash-for-electronics trade-in service, has seen an 80 percent spike in iPad trade-ins over the past month, which could mean anticipation is growing for Apple's iPad Mini, which could have a 7.85-inch screen.
"The recent spike in iPad trades began on the date that rumors broke about the production of the iPad Mini and [trades] have remained relatively high [ever] since," Anthony Scarsella, Gazelle's chief gadget officer, told TechNewsDaily in an email. "While I can't say for certain that all people are trading in older iPads for the iPad Mini, I can make the educated guess that there is a strong connection."
But is this just a coincidence? Consumers could be raising cash for the still-new iPhone 5, which has broken all previous iPhone sales records. Demand is high for the phone and supply is scarce. Apple lists a three- to four-week wait for shipping on its website, while carriers call for shipping in about three weeks.
Nevertheless, for some reason the original 16GB iPad with Wi-Fi is flooding the resale market, accounting for almost 50 percent of iPads traded in, Scarsella said. The average prices, meaning all iPads in all conditions, are $130 for the original iPad, $215 for an iPad 2 and $390 for the latest model.
Apple is expected to issue invitations Tuesday to a launch event on Oct. 23, where the iPad Mini could be unveiled.
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Copyright 2013 TechNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
