iPad launches on April 3rd, pre-orders begin March 12th
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted March 5th 2010 9:02AM
posted March 5th 2010 9:02AM
- 16GB WiFi only -- $499
- 32GB WiFi only -- $599
- 64GB WiFi only -- $699
- 16GB WiFi + 3G -- $629
- 32GB WiFi + 3G -- $729
- 64GB WiFi + 3G -- $829
iPad Available in US on April 3
Pre-Order on March 12
CUPERTINO, California-March 5, 2010-Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple's online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.
"iPad is something completely new," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."
Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*
iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad's large screen and almost full-size "soft" keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad's elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple's new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.
The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world's largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.
The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple's new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.
The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.
Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.
The iBooks app for iPad including Apple's iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
Pre-Order on March 12
CUPERTINO, California-March 5, 2010-Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.
Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple's online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.
"iPad is something completely new," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We're excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."
Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*
iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad's large screen and almost full-size "soft" keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad's elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple's new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.
The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world's largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.
The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple's new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.
The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.
Pricing & Availability
iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.
The iBooks app for iPad including Apple's iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
@DoctarPeppar Probably in keeping up with expected demand!
Yep, Steve Jobs lied -- he said the Wifi only version would be available in March and the 3g version would be available in early april. Guess they're having some delays...what a shame! Must be all the lawsuits they're filing.
@DoctarPeppar
Or Jobs is having a hissy spat with someone in the FCC.
@DoctarPeppar
Maybe it got delayed a few days cos they're trying to finalise contracts with 10s of media companies that will make this the best media consumption device ever created?
But you want the Courier, and your pirate bay downloads, right? And you won't pay more than $200.
I dont wanna carry yet another gadget. At home I have a few computers. On the road all I need is ONE smart phone.
@Pork
The Dell Mini 5 looks to be a decent contender. It's a tad bit large for a phone, but it's still pocketable.
@Pork
We'll see if you still feel that way when you start to need reading glasses. For me, web browsing on my iPhone is painful. I'd love to have an iPad—if it wasn't such a crippled piece of jobshit. Maybe they'll get it right on gen 3, after Jobs takes the long siesta.
@blackactor
My point exactly. However, I suspect that isn't what you actually intended.
To see what all the fuss was about Apple not allowing Flash on the iPad, I uninstalled the Flash Player from Safari (and soon disabled plugins so that I wouldn't keep being plagued by warnings on just about every website that I visited).
It took just a couple of hours of web browsing to drive me half insane, at which point I reinstalled Flash (you may parse that line however you wish).
For me, no Flash = no iPad. I reiterate my call for a boycott until Apple gets its collective head out of Jobs' nether regions.
Let's make things straight! I don't like Apple or SJ for that matter but:
Apple's products ARE good.
My mum doesn't even know what Flash is and she certainly doesn't know what engadget is. The Ipad WILL be a hit as the competition (again) doesn't have a matching product: SOMETHING that does the exact same thing> web browsing, itunes, apps, games, 10 hours battery, stability, simplicity, cool lookingness, etc.
The Iphone and the Ipad are technically multitask: you can browse the web while the music is on, Apple just restricted this power only to apple apps. So yes, the Ipad will sell well because Apple has a good user interface, most people don't freakin care at all about flash and the price is good for the basic version. And most of all because the competition is UNABLE at the time of launch to offer a similar product. Ipad is no netbook nor tabletPC. It's strenght will be here and marketed accordingly.
@aeonys
The moment she calls you telling you "That thing I entered into the ipad gave me a blank screen" at least you will know what flash is. HF explaining this you mom.
Was there, not going there back again.
P.S.: Many of these nice furniture, knitting, household, whatever-old-people-like-stores do use flash. Not to mention many of the internet cooking, recipe, etc. sites do also use that...but nevermind.
@aeonys
You keep saying that no one cares about Flash, that's because it's such a part of their daily life on the web, that it's seamless.
You can easily say people dont care about power-line poles...that is until it gets knocked down and their power goes out.
On a device like this that is supposed to show a web page like you see it on a regular screen, as opposed to a phone, people are going to expect Flash.
Or do you think your mom is going to say "Whatever, HTML5 is coming soon"?
@LAY
Lol man! I surf of my N1 without flash all day and I still find it ok. I mean, I'm the one craving for flash! Like really! but I don't think I'm the average user. I saw what my parents and people of their generation use the computer for. And frankly, for their use absence of flash is not a deal breaker.
I simply meant that my parents will buy the thing to read books, have some recipe aside from the kitchen table while cooking, read some email while the other is watching tv, entertain their grand children with kids designed apps or hell play sudoku or something.
You can well do all these things without flash... WE here on engadget do not represent the average customers. Simply because the AVERAGE customer will buy apps and doesn't go on engadget, doesn't even know its existence doesn't know what Jailbreaking means. If you know this word and can explain what it means, you have no ground to talk in the name of average customers. this is my point
@LAY
Flash is not a big deal. I don't surf porn sites all day so not having it on my iPhone is barely even noticeable. All the major sites that use flash also have mobile versions that don't use flash. And then there are the sites that are starting to do everything in HTML 5 instead.
If you depend on flash so badly that it will prevent you from getting an iPad for that reason specifically, you may just want to not surf porn so much. I'm just saying.
Really, people?
Like, 37 million people already own iPhones/iPods and are "fully" committed to the app store process, and CLEARLY that model is pulling in crazy amounts of cash for Apple.
How DARE them try to capitalize on that model with the iPad? They should be ashamed!
I'm in the market for an E-reader, so why not get a device that allows me to read books, plus email, browse web, watch TV shows/movies, listen to music, and play games to keep me amused on long trips for a few hundred dollars more? Sounds reasonable to me.
wtf is wrong with you haters?
Minus 50 points each for cliche "kool-aid" reference from Jamo and Blackactor. BTW, it wasn't even "Kool-aid" that Jim Jones used in his religious massacre (to what the kool-aid reference actually references). It was Favor-aid. FLAVOR-AID, PEOPLE.
But seriously folks, I won't be throwing away my Dell anytime soon. When my iPad tries to act like a big boy, I'll just hush it and say, "Quiet, honey, the adults are talking."
@tyrellmojohnston
Cliches exist for a reason. Refer to Koolaid and people know know what you're talking about, FlavorAid reference means I'm just being an overly-historically accurate pedantic a-hole.
@jamo
The ironic thing is that he slams cliches, but launches into the cliched "hater" cliche before he says anything!
And what is he so pissy about anyway? He now knows what Windows users have been hearing before Windows 7 was sold. And guess what camp was tossing all of that "HATE"?
@tyrellmojohnston How dare you try to make sense of this situation. The haters wont understand it anyway.
@LAY Judging from the repetition in blog comments, I'd say that all language is a cliché.
@Zhuzhu
Maybe you hit the nail on the head with that.
who cares. I won't be buying that big ipod Touch!
About time, I've always been using my Iphone and thinking, why isn't this bigger! Or using my laptop and thinking I wont to do less! Can't wait to use this while.... hmmm.... where would I use this?
Remember, it's magic. ...... NOT !
No love for Canada yet? Hopefully the wait won't be as long as the iPhone...remember, Canada didn't see the 1st gen iPhone at all.
As it stands right now, the micro-SIM in the iPad is going to be a no-go for Canada since none of the telecom providers support it as yet.
http://cadget.com/micro-sim-card-in-ipad-prevents-3g-use-in-canada/
can i transfer a pdf,doc,ppt witout having to go through shit.
@scatterz
There are apps for the current iThings that allow file transfers (as opposed to sync) without too much pain, but rumor has it that the iPad will have a built-in function for doing it. We'll see.
Man...if only it had Flash and a Camera, I would be satisfied. Yes, there are some sites that go overboard with flash but there are others that use it very minimally but even then, it's vital, even here on Engadget. Then a front facing camera would be awesome for Skype, yeah, there's other questionable things like the specs and HDD space vs. cost but really, Flash support and a front facing camera would have really been a game changer.
@jamo fanbois
Ipad will be really cool device once it's jailbroken. Multitasking, and the ability to stream movies and tv shows. I won't be buying. I'm looking forward to the new iPhone come June!!! I'm sure the ipad will do ok bit I don't see it being a huge hit.
its not made to replace a pc. Everyone now is just hating iPad because every web site made it out to be the next 10 commandments tablet presented by Moses. Honestly, its a great device for what it is. Its a portable media tablet for media consumption. Web browsing, email, movies, tv shows, books, word processing, many upon many applications... give a chance for ipad dedicated apps(ps3 sucked when it first came out b/c of lack of games) , newspapers, music, all on a 10 inch screen with imo the BEST multi-touch interface still on the market. Everyone just needs to grow up and stop hating apple, microsoft, android whatever and appreciate the vast electronic euphoria we live in today, I remember when game boy was amazing and it only played games, nothing more, but it was still the shit
Wanna see what scared PC fanboys look like...? Stick around..
@Wesscoast
Wanna see what scared Apple fanatics look like? See above.
Hint: Look for any post with the term "hater" or "hate" in it.
@Wesscoast
I don't understand what we are afraid of. I don't walk out of the house and see an iPhone and pull back in horror and then run screaming down the street. I don't even give a crap about Apple products its tha Apple fanatics that bother me.
@LAY
How many Apple comments are you up to these days? 50-a-day, everyday?
Sounds like you're got a big vacant space in your life you need filled. You should get a boyfriend.
@pukerocket
Last I heard, LAY and DaHarder had a very ugly break up.
be gentle, his heart is still mending.
@HardToBelieve
I used to hate Apple products too... until I started using them.
In my humble opinion Faster/Easier to use == Better.
Sure I'm probably not going to design work or programming on this thing but that is why I 'also' have laptops, desktops, Macs and PCs.
Guys I think there may be a different story hidden in the pending iPad shipment schedule.
http://bit.ly/cd2ngZ
Sure, so many comments on this so early in the morning yet nobody wants this riggghhhttt....When I see something totally useless I ignore it, I don't scour engadget waiting for any word on it. This thing is going to sell like hotcakes.
I don't see why everyone complains. If it's not for you then move on. Personally I see this device as a replacement for certain PMP devices. I own an Archos 605 and use it while travelling. I see the iPad as a better investment than the archos device. Battery life is better, screen is better, form factor is sexy, it actually has support (archos 605 support/community is virtually non existant) and I know that Apple won't forget this device since it's compatible with most iphone apps.
Sure it's not a laptop, but it's not the targeted audience. That's like saying why get a netbook when you can get a more powerful notebook. Or why get a notebook when you can get a monster of a desktop. Different machines for different living situations.
@lxnyce Good point.
I won't be able to get mine by my birthday. Oh well, at least I can pre-order it.
Honestly is this even worth it for the fan boys?I'm starting to think no. I mean, I understand the whole deal about the iBook store but what else can this seriously be used for that we can't already do on an iMac or MacBook? Ideas anyone?
Seems kinda pricey for something you put on your eye.
http://www.conney.com/wcsstore/Conney/images/fullsize/z29168.gif
@swanle You are missing the point. You can be sat alone with it in your darkened room gazing at sexy ladies and unlike a laptop with a keyboard, it is wipe clean! Onanists rejoice!
Can someone please explain why Jobs continues to refer to this product as "magical"?
@projektR
Because he is a visionary and you're the typical shortsighted wannabe technophole. Simple.
@jaffreywali
"Technophole"? Dang... can't keep up with this slang. Does it have something to do with this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wniIDHx0qTM
@projektR
Because it's a mystery, even to Jobs, why anyone would even buy this giant ipod.
This electronic d-bag accessory is not news. No more on iPad please!
Lets make this clear. All this antagonism you think "fanboys" have towards Apple is really misconstrued.
We don't hate Apple, we may not care for their products, but we don't hate their products.
WE DO HATE all you people creating artificial antagonism towards your company that does not exist. So you can feel like an underdog and one of the "elite" people that "get it."
We "got it," we just never found it that interesting.