Apple has officially announced that the iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, 3 April for the Wi-Fi only model and in late April for the more expensive Wi-Fi + 3G model. From 12 March, US customers will be able to pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on 3 April instore.
UK buyers will have to wait till late April to pick up an iPad. Apple has announced that both the Wi-Fi and 3G iPad models will be available in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland in late April.
The UK Apple website is still showing the original release dates: "Wi-Fi models shipping in late March. 3G models shipping in April. UK pricing to be announced."
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Those hoping that Apple would confirm UK pricing for the iPad sooner, rather than later, will be disappointed. Apple mentions in this latest press release that international pricing will now be announced in April.
The iPad will ship in additional countries later this year, Apple adds.
Macworld UK originally estimated a launch price of £388 for the iPad. Following another drop in the value of sterling we have now adjusted this figure.
Macworld UK now estimates the following UK pricing for the iPad at launch:
iPad Wi-Fi: £417 (16GB); £500 (32GB); £584 (64GB)
Wi-Fi + 3G: £526 (16GB); £610 (32GB); £693 (64GB)
Those figures are based on the current US exchange rate against the current rate of sterling which is now $1.50 for every £1, plus 17.5 per cent VAT (Value Added Tax - the UK term for sales tax - this is included with the price in the UK, but excluded from the price in the US) plus an extra 7 per cent. This is the amount we judge Apple charges extra in the UK over the US. This is the: "it just costs a little bit more to do business here, move stuff around, service product and so on" rate that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs spoke to us about during the original iPhone launch in the UK. You can watch the video of Steve Jobs talking about price differences here.
Judging by the delay from Apple in announcing official UK pricing we would assume that the Cupertino-based company is waiting to gauge the value of sterling in the UK as close to launch as possible before committing to a price point.
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Comments received
Mackly said on Fri, 05 Mar 2010
It's not just the UK pricing from Apple that we need to know it is also the data packages that the various phone companies will be prepared to offer for the 3G model of the iPad.
Unlike the USA the 3G iPad should not need to be altered for use on any of the main carriers, so the field should be wide open and, with any luck for the consumers, highly competitive.
Personally, I am looking for which carrier will be the first to offer:
(1) Unlimited data - like the higher AT&T tariff in the states;
(2) Month-by-month renewal rather than a fixed length plan, again like AT&T; and
(3) Some form of international roaming that doesn't leave one feeling like the victim of a mugging at knifepoint.
andywilliams said on Fri, 05 Mar 2010
Can't see any 3G provider doing anything interesting (or cheap) for international roaming. It will probably be cheaper to buy one of the monthly micro sims when you get to the country you're in. I'm thinking may do that when I go to France for a month later in the year.
Che said on Fri, 05 Mar 2010
Can't see them flying off the shelves at that price.
Give it a few software updates, a hardware revision or two (Apple's QA is not what it was), some competition to get the price down and it may be worth reconsidering.
Dragonfly said on Sun, 07 Mar 2010
I think you'll either be an iPhone person or an iPad person, I somehow doubt you'd buy both. £417 isn't a disposable gadget price (not where I come from).
With some e-Readers (with actual e-ink technology) selling for around £129, I don't think that Apple will sell the quantities required in this country to make e-publishing work.
ashpole said on Mon, 08 Mar 2010
"the current rate of sterling which is now £1.50 for every $1"
I think you'll find it's $1.50 for every £1.
Mike
frere said on Tue, 09 Mar 2010
Hear, hear to Mackly's comments. o2 are keeping schtum.
boy11a said on Tue, 09 Mar 2010
Think dragonfly is way of mark i am an iPhone user & will be an ipad user so will i think a lot of people
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