Apple launched the iPad mini on Oct. 23, which went on sale in Apple stores on Nov. 2. New York City has still not fully recovered from the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, which has crippled the city's transportation system. However, despite everything, top Apple stores in the city saw the iPad mini fly off from the shelves within hours of opening.

Follow us

Hurricane Sandy caused blackouts in New York City and many retail stores are still shuttered down. However, Apple's flagship store at Fifth Avenue sold out the white version of the iPad mini within 30 minutes and all other models in just over two hours.

"In Just Over 2 Hours, the Black & Slate iPad mini Sell Out. As of 11:40 AM ET, both the 16GB and 32GB Black & Slate iPad mini models were sold out at the Fifth Avenue NYC store; while we estimate the 64GB iPad mini sold out at around 12:10 PM ET. This sell out is driving customers to buy the fourth generation iPad that also went on sale this morning," per notes from Brian White, an analyst with Topeka Capital's, reported Business Insider.

The iPad mini has gained significant popularity since its launch.

 "The iPad mini is off to a strong start and we believe this will be the next star in the Apple portfolio," stated White.

Almost 600 people lined up outside the Fifth Avenue Apple store, according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. However, the Apple retail stores in SoHo and West 14th Street remained closed.

Brian White estimates that Apple will sell 800,000 to 1 million iPad mini during the launch weekend. Gene Munster also forecasts sales of 1 million to 1.5 million units during the launch weekend, which also includes the fourth-generation iPad sales.

The demand for tablets in the tech market has increased of late, and Apple being one of the most popular tablet makers will see an increase in growth for iPads as well.

Time will tell if the 7.9-inch and the 9.7-inch iPads can take the major chunk of the tablet market in the near future.

Join Our Conversation

Smartphones

LG Optimus GJ Waterproof Smartphone Now Official, Will Sport $600 Price Tag

Nokia Launched LiveSight For HERE Maps On Windows Phone 8

Samsung Galaxy S4 Sells 10M Units In First Month, More Color Options Coming This Summer

HTC One Google Edition With Stock Android May Arrive This Summer

Tablet / Laptop / PC

Amazon Launches 7-Inch And 8.9-Inch Kindle Fire HD Tablets In 170 Countries

Lenovo ThinkPad Helix Hybrid Tablet-Ultrabook Now Available Starting At $1679

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Leaks In Benchmarks With Intel Inside

Samsung Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 8.0 Top Consumer Reports Rankings

Gadgets

Recharge Your Phone In 20 Seconds With This Revolutionary Device

Ouya Will Be At E3 2013, But Not Where You Think

Next Microsoft Xbox To Sport Dashboard UI Update And Tile Changes

Google Media Streamer Hits FCC To Replace Nexus Q

OS / Software

Former Nokia Team Jolla, Announces First Sailfish Powered Smartphone For Asia

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Update For Samsung Galaxy S3 Transform It Into Galaxy S4 (To Some Extent)

iOS 7 To Come With Flickr, Vimeo Integration

Samsung Galaxy S4 'Google Edition' Will Be Available In U.S. Only?

Internet / Social Media

AT&T Promises Cellular Video Calls, Mobile Video Chat For All Customers

Flickr Boasts 'Spectacular' Redesign, Offers A Whopping 1TB Of FREE Storage

Download 40 GB In A Second: Researchers Set Up World's Fastest Wi-Fi Network In Germany

YouTube Shoppable Videos - Will Google Hit A New Jackpot?

What's App

Nokia Launched LiveSight For HERE Maps On Windows Phone 8

Nokia Xpress Now Web App Announced For Asha Devices

Samsung Galaxy S4 App Contest Boasts $800,000 Total Prizes For Talented Devs

Intellicam App Brings First Hands-Free Camera Feature To Windows Phone 8