Mark your calendars, folks. It’s official, the iPad 3G is set to be on store shelves and pre-orders delivered on April 30th. While new pre-orders will ship on May 7th. Apple Stores will begin selling the iPad 3G at 5PM.
OR you can always just find an iPad 3G
on eBay and get it delivered on the following monday with next-day shipping.
For those who didn’t know it, the iPad 3G is essentially an iPad WiFi + 3G capability:
- UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
- GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
It’s $130 more compared to each Wifi models:
16GB Model - $629.00
32GB Model – $729.00
64GB Model - $829.00
AT&T’s no contract iPad data plan starts from $14.99 per month for 250MB, up to $30 for unlimited data. (The iPad will use Micro SIMs as opposed to traditional SIMs.)
You can sign up and cancel the 3G plan anytime right on the iPad. Also, with AT&T 3G plans, you have access to some 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots.
iPad 3G pre-orders made from here on out will ship “by May 7th”, suggesting that some iPad 3Gs may still ship late April. That’s 3 days before pre-order begin for the iPad outside of the U.S.
Apple has revealed that they have sold 300,000 iPads on launch day, counting all the pre-order deliveries and sales from Apple Stores, Best Buy and other selected retailers. Compared to the original iPhone, which sold 270,000 units in the first 30 hours, some may say that the iPad did pretty well for its first day, considering the 3G version is yet to be released and this was only the US launch.
Apple also announced that iPad owners has downloaded one million apps from the App Store and 250,000 ebooks from the iBookstore. That would come out to as Steve noted:
“It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world — it’s going to be a game changer,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPad users, on average, downloaded more than three apps and close to one book within hours of unpacking their new iPad.”
[image via c8h10n4o2]
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A tipster of TUAW has leaked several shots of the Best Buy sales playbook for the iPad. According to the internal memo, there will be a limited of 15 iPads (5 of each WiFi Models) shipped on April 2nd to one of the 670+ Best Buy stores that will be carrying the iPad on launch day. And these Best Buy locations are expected to receive another shipment of 15 iPads after the first for sale on the 11th.
The leaked shots also confirms that Best buy will not be offering the iPad online and that the physicals stores will be stocking up on the iPad accessories.
Check out the leaked sales playbook after the break.
With an estimated 120,000 iPad pre-orders on the first day alone, it wasn’t surprising to learn that Apple has sold out iPad reservations online. In addition to that, customers that are just now pre-ordering a Wi-Fi iPad won’t get theirs shipped until April 12th. WiFi iPad Pre-orders taken before today is still on scheduled to ship out on the 3rd and 3G versions late April.
I think we can expect long lines at the Apple Stores for the iPad Launch.
Apple will offer as with most of their other products, a discounted price for the iPad for educators, educational institutions.There won’t be a discount for individual iPads, but rather a bundle of at least 10 iPads (Non-3G), coming to about a $20 discount for each iPad or $40 if bought with AppleCare.
BF822LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (16GB) $4,790
BF825LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (16GB) with AppleCare Protection Plan for iPad – Auto Enroll $5,580
BF823LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (32GB) $5,790
BF826LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (32GB) with AppleCare Protection Plan for iPad – Auto Enroll $6,580
BF824LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (64GB) $6,790
BF827LL/A: iPad Wi-Fi (64GB) with AppleCare Protection Plan for iPad – Auto Enroll $7,580
Each 10-Packs will contain 10 iPads, 10 USB-to-Dock Connector cables, 10 power adapters and one set of documentation.
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According to Apple PR, “Customers can pre-order online at apple.com at 5:30am Pacific time on Friday, March 12.” Or 8:30am Eastern time.
Update: An Apple spokesperson told Wired that iPad release is on track for late March.
Apple may have plans for a limited or delayed launch of the iPad due to an inventory shortage, says analyst Peter Misek of Canaccord Adams.
“The upcoming iPad launch may be somewhat limited as a manufacturing bottleneck has impacted production of Apple’s newest device,” Misek says. “An unspecified production problem at the iPad’s manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision (or better known as Foxconn), will likely limit the launch region to the US and the number of units available to roughly 300K in the month of march, far lower than the company’s initial estimate of 1,000K units.” [Apple Insider]
The Wifi iPad is expected to go on sale later this month, and a shortage of iPad at launch could mean long lines.
It turns out that the rumors of Best Buy to sell the iPad at launch were true after all. It was last week when Best Buy’s internal inventory system was leaked showing alleged iPad dummy SKUs.
At the Goldman Sachs annual tech conference in San Francisco today, Tim Cook, Apple’s COO revealed that besides directly from Apple Stores, one can get an iPad from selected retailers such as “Best Buy” and possibly AT&T. Internationally, Apple Premium Resellers will also carry the iPad in stores.
“Over time it will expand.” But “Initially it will be around places with really great assisted sales,” said Tim cook.
It was also revealed that the Apple executive personally had an iPad for about 6 months now.
[via Apple Insider]
Get your credit cards ready. If this latest rumor is true, Wi-Fi iPad pre-orders could begin as soon as Thursday, February 25th, according to AppAdvice. Citing a “reliable source”, they also say that the pre-sale will be available to the US only. This would put the pre-sale about 30 days before the scheduled release of non-3G version of the iPad.
But before any ’selling’, the iPad must first pass the FCC. So that would mean we’ll see the FCC approval of the Wi-Fi iPad sometime this week. And the 3G Models on a later date.
