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Apple's new iPad mini went on sale in Singapore on Friday at 8am but had a muted reception.
Though the city-state is the first country in Southeast Asia to sell the tablet, fewer than 30 people were spotted in the queue outside an EpiCentre outlet, according to gadget blog CNET. The first person in line, Terence Tan, started queueing at 5:30am.
EpiCentre said in a statement that the iPad mini was sold out in 2.5 hours. However, the Apple reseller refused to disclose how much stock it had, and if it brought in less stock for the iPad mini compared to that of regular iPads at previous launches.
Analysts have said low demand could be due to pricing. The device, priced at S$448 (US$329) for its cheapest model, is significantly higher than rival gadgets like the Google Nexus 7 (US$199) and Kindle Fire HD (US$199). Reviewers have said that they dislike the inferior resolution and lofty price tag.
Around the world, the launch of iPad mini was also met with far shorter lines than the snaking queues that have typically greeted iPhone and iPad launches.
About 50 people waiting for the Apple store in Sydney Australia, to open, reported Reuters. At Apple Store in New York City, only one guy stood in the official queue on Thursday afternoon for Friday morning's launch.
The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit an all-time high of 321 at 10pm on Wednesday, crossing into the "hazardous" range, according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA).