Apple Inc. said its new iPad mini with a high-definition screen is now available for shipping, in time for the critical holiday shopping season.

The device will start from $399, it said on its website. While the larger iPad Air went on sale on Nov. 1, Apple hadn’t said when the smaller tablet would be available beyond sometime in November.

Apple has seen sales growth for the iPad slow in recent quarters as consumers held off purchases as they waited for new models, and the market becomes more crowded with rival devices from Samsung Electronics Co. and Amazon.com Inc. The iPad is Apple’s second-biggest source of sales after the iPhone, accounting for $32 billion in revenue last fiscal year. The Cupertino, California-based company sold 14.1 million units last quarter, down from 14.6 million in the prior period.

“The response to iPad Air has been incredible, and we’re excited for customers to experience the new iPad mini with Retina display,” Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a statement.

Markets where the new iPad mini is now available for shipping include the U.S., Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to the website

The device’s starting price is $70 more expensive than last year’s model. The priciest version can cost as much as $829 with 128 gigabytes of memory and access to wireless networks. The older device released last year will start at $299.

Apple shares were little changed at $518.46 at 9:41 a.m. in New York, and have declined 2.5 percent so far this year through yesterday.