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The fourth generation iPad and the iPad mini are now on sale in New Zealand. The iPad mini was recently announced by Apple on October 23, with preorders opening shortly thereafter. Now Apple lovers in New Zealand can nab the tablets in retail stores, making it the first country where the devices are available. Roll out for the launch countries will begin at 8AM on November 2.

Apple does not know which retailers are offering the devices. When in doubt, call up your local electronics stores and ask if they have the tablets in stock. Said Apple’s spokeswoman Fiona Martin, “I don’t know who will have what (products) where in New Zealand but the retailers will certainly be able to open their doors so people can come in and touch and play straight away.”

The iPad mini features a 7.9-inch display with a 163ppi 1024 x 768 resolution. Inside you’ll find a dual-core A5 processor, and either 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage space, depending on which model you get. There is a Wifi-only version and a Wifi + Cellular version, with the former offering Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n, while the latter also includes data connectivity.

Apple’s Philip Schiller confirmed yesterday that the iPad mini features dual stereo speakers. Meanwhile, the fourth-generation iPad features an A6X dual-core processor with quad-core graphics, as well as a 9.7-inch Retina display with a 264ppi 2,048 x 1,536 resolution. The products were launched in New Zealand approximately 20 hours before it will roll out in San Francisco.

[via Apple Insider]

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Subaru New Zealand has bitten the bullet, confirming it will add the rear-wheel drive BRZ sports coupe to its previously all-wheel drive line-up.

Subaru NZ managing director Wallis Dumper told the New Zealand Herald the BRZ would hit showrooms in 2012. “It will be in New Zealand next year. It’s a good car,” Dumper said.

Despite confirmation across the ditch, Subaru Australia remains tight-lipped on its decision on whether to launch the car here.

Subaru Australia’s David Rowley said confirmation from New Zealand did not change the local branch’s position to make its announcement on the car in the coming days in the lead-up to Christmas.

Like Australia, New Zealand’s line-up comprises only all-wheel drive models, and the safety and performance benefits of these underpinnings are an important part of its brand message. As such, Dumper was faced by the same philosophical dilemma that currently confronts Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior, and ultimately decided the BRZ made sense for the New Zealand market.

But Rowley said New Zealand’s confirmation did not make Subaru Australia’s decision any easier. “New Zealand is vastly different to Australia,” he said. “We’ll concentrate on what’s best for our market.”

Rowley explained the Australian and New Zealand arms were “part of the same stable”, but said there was no relationship between them in terms of product decisions.

Senior appears to be warming to the notion of selling the BRZ in Australia, however. At the Tokyo Motor Show, he told CarAdvice rear-wheel drive is “in keeping with our brand” and “delivers driver confidence”, and described the BRZ as a “driver’s car”.

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