iPad international launch is go on May 28 (update: pricing)
By Thomas Ricker 
posted May 7th 2010 8:40AM
posted May 7th 2010 8:40AM
Update: Tax-inclusive pricing is out. Très cher! Oh, and Orange UK has fessed up to pricing details for the iPad 3G + WiFi.
Update II: A handy pricing chart has also surfaced, helping you get a better grasp on what Apple's charging for its first tablet in the first international launch markets.
Europe:
- 16GB WiFi-only €479
- 32GB WiFi-only €579
- 64GB WiFi-only €679
- 16GB WiFi+3G €579
- 32GB WiFi+3G €679
- 64GB WiFi+3G €779
- 16GB WiFi-only £429
- 32GB WiFi-only £499
- 64GB WiFi-only £599
- 16GB WiFi+3G £529
- 32GB WiFi+3G £599
- 64GB WiFi+3G £699
iPad Available in Nine More Countries on May 28
Pre-Orders Begin May 10
CUPERTINO, California-May 7, 2010-Apple® today announced that iPad™ will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on Friday, May 28. Customers can pre-order all iPad models from Apple's online store in all nine countries beginning on Monday, May 10. In the US, Apple has already sold over one million iPads and customers have downloaded over 12 million apps from the App Store, as well as over 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBookstore.
iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*
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 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers have created more than 5,000 exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.
Pricing & Availability
Apple plans to release iPad in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore in July. Apple will announce availability, local pricing and pre-order plans for these nine additional countries at a later date.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Pre-Orders Begin May 10
CUPERTINO, California-May 7, 2010-Apple® today announced that iPad™ will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on Friday, May 28. Customers can pre-order all iPad models from Apple's online store in all nine countries beginning on Monday, May 10. In the US, Apple has already sold over one million iPads and customers have downloaded over 12 million apps from the App Store, as well as over 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBookstore.
iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds-thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook-and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*
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 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers have created more than 5,000 exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.
Pricing & Availability
Apple plans to release iPad in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore in July. Apple will announce availability, local pricing and pre-order plans for these nine additional countries at a later date.
*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system, and iLife, iWork and professional applications. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Can't wait to have a play around with it in the Apple Store, I was very skeptical about its usefulness at first but it seems to be much less of a 'giant iPod touch' than I thought.
@Chris7197 I was designing an app for the iPad and I can assure you that it's not a big-ass iPod Touch. Those spilt views and pop overs make a world of a difference.
@Chris7197
It will always be a giant iPod touch until they get rid of the reliance on iTunes to do anything.
How can a device be better than a netbook if I need to use my netbook for document transfers?
@Vance
Very good point. My friend has an iPad, and I liked it more after using his, but it's still not worth the money to me. You raise a very good point though...it can't be a standalone device.
@JQuB3
Well clearly you have an interest in it selling well for your app to do well, so we'll ignore what you say on the matter.
@Vance
I'm On My second iPad, I bought the WiFi when it was first available and replaced it with the 3G version as soon as it came out. I'm an IT Manager and Primarily use it with winadmin & Logmein Ignition for remote access to my servers & workstations. Since I recieved the First iPad I havent used My Laptop once. Its a Totaly comfortable Piece of equipment to use.. PS: I Also use it for Saving pictures, web surfing and some Light word processing & Spreadsheet work and its VERY Easy to get a document on the iPad by emailing it.. Oh Yea and the Battery Life is Just out of this WORLD!!
@Chris7197 The price is a total deal-breaker. At a *starting* price of £429, I can bypass netbooks and jump straight into CULV laptop territory.
@Vance Still, I believe we shouldn't truly compare a netbook and an iPad. Both have enough strong and weak points for them to be incomparable. I believe an iPad is good for whatever you need it to do, much the same about a netbook (Loving my 1008HA btw).
@Vance I've had mine for a month now and have only plugged it in to my computer twice. Evernote, Sugarsync, and now Dropbox limit the need to plug in.
@Vance
I do not understand the drama. I use GoodReader to transfer documents over the air in seconds. AirVideo is used to stream content from my laptop.
I use the iPad everyday. The last time it was connected to my laptop was April 3rd.
Well it sucks that eruopeans have to pay over 100 dollars more then americans for the cheapest version.
Well its not apples fault, so i cant blame steve. Dammit!
@dio777 If you're streaming content from another computer that is your own then it's still not a standalone device.
@mr88
What good point? That you need iTunes to do anything on the iPad? That is nonsense. Use GoodReader and/or Dropbox.
@MrKnowItAll
"Well it sucks that eruopeans have to pay over 100 dollars more then americans for the cheapest version.
Well its not apples fault, so i cant blame steve. Dammit!"
It's the higher VAT of 15 to 20 % in Europe. What few people know: The US have higher income taxes than Europe. Overall, the tax rates are not that different.
I believe that 479 € is a really good price (in light of the current currency crisis), and there's even a relative price drop on the 3G models! Who knows, we might see a $30 price drop for the 3G in the US as well.
@lookseehear
At work my laptop is connected to a file server. I pull files from the server to my local drive. Does that mean my laptop is not a stand alone device?
@abugida
" The US have higher income taxes than Europe"
Is that so? Im pretty sure that Denmark for one, have much higher income taxes.
@Vance Uh I've had the ipad for a few weeks and you don't need iTunes for anything except maybe to transfer movies. Documents: use dropbox or email and you're fine!
@Vance I use dropbox and good reader, surprisingly there is support in OS 3.2 to transfer documents from one app to another, it's just too bad that apple has such few options for getting stuff out of iWork. Email, USB, or iWork.com are the only options right now.
@abugida You're mistaken. Income taxes are way higher in Europe.
@MrKnowItAll As a Dane I can testify to that! I pay 55% in income tax.
Any of you americans want to swap income tax with me?
@MrKnowItAll
WHAT a BS. Clearly never been to Europe.
I dont think I will be buying this iPad any time soon.
I bought my 3G iPod touch 32GB purely for developing purposes for Cydia, and I feel that it will be a waste of $563 (CAD) for basically extra inches of screen, and a regular processor (considering the size of the screen, it is basically equal to that of the chip inside the iPod)
Maybe if I rack up a few bucks over time, or a new model comes out offering the much preferred features, or I am given it to me for free.
@Vance DROPBOX
@diordna
Now dont be a twat. I am danish, that is why i know for a fact that we have some of the highest income taxes.
@JQuB3 Split views and pop overs do add to the experience as does the large screen but it's still just an iPod Touch with split views, pop overs and a big screen i.e a big iPod.
For the price right now, it's not worth it despite the IPS display. When it drops below £300 and has iPhone OS 4 (a couple of months away for the iPad), then it'll be pretty cool but I'm gonna have the iPhone 4G so still won't buy one.
They could make a killing over Christmas if they price it right. £350 would sell big time because consoles are hitting that £100 mark (preowned for PS3) so plenty left in the budget.
@Eggo133
I know for a fact you need iTunes to even start using the iPad. It wants you to plug it into a computer with the newest iTunes running right when you unbox it. It's so stupid.
@abugida
Denmark here: I pay 55% in income tax, and we pay 25% in VAT.
Do you want to swap taxes and VAT? Just say when.
@abugida
Sorry, that's not true. The only two European countries that have a lower personal income tax rate are Ireland and Iceland.
Of course, we have less services offered to us in those countries, but our income tax levels are substantially lower.
@Garion
Yeah plus multimedia licens, wich is just like and extra tax and costs around 450 dollar a year.
Yeah we are the happiest people in the world, but you have to wonder why?
@MrKnowItAll
While that might be true, there's more to tax pressure than just income tax. If I'd write a list of all the different taxes I have to pay over here (Netherlands), it'd probably fill up a full page of reactions ;-). That's the price you pay for a welfare state, I guess...
@drange
True.:D
@lookseehear Who said the ipad had to be a standalone device. If it's not for you, it's not for you. A lot of people are enjoying theirs. Let them be.
This is nothing new. They've been selling iPads at the Virgin Megastore in Kuwait for quite some time. Here are some pics I snapped like 4 or 5 days ago:
http://picasaweb.google.com/105692877222901162309/IpadKuwait?authkey=Gv1sRgCMioxYqznOrhvgE&feat=directlink
16GB for 266 KD (917 US Dollars).
@Vance Amen to that. and i think they made a mistake? Trop cher? ;)
@TinWard I would tend to say that the iPod touch is a smaller iPad, with several UI compromises designed to get it to fit in your pocket. I mean, that multi-touch interface feels much more holistically correct on a 10-inch screen than a 3.5-inch screen.
The iPhone came before the iPad, so I suppose it's natural that we think of it in relation to the iPhone, but it's quickly becoming clear that this was Apple's original idea.
@MrKnowItAll There is not that big price difference once you calculate tax on the US models... and compare :-)
There is a lot of hate about Apple and the iPad, but I have to admit that the device is much more convincing once you actually use it.
@ThinkpaxX200s And how do you print your work?
@MrKnowItAll Ya, its funny how exchange rates work.
@Chris7197 Yep, I just hope they don't use that word magical over and over again. Although its Sans the GPS/Flash/Camera makes it a real Turn-off for aspiring buyers to get this one. Other than its great. http://j.mp/apple-tablet-experience
@r3loaded I have an HP laptop that is as powerful as a Macbook Pro when I got it last September. It cost 400 pounds. The Macbook Pro costs 1200 pounds. (4GB RAM 2.5Ghz dual-core processor 64-bit dedicated Nvidia graphics)
@Gasaraki But the Apple stores and many other locations will do that for you, so...
@mr88 Very good point. My friend has an iPad, and I liked it more after using his, but it's still not worth the money to me.
I also has an ipad,like it so much.now I found some free apps.shara to you friend and ipad owners.it's useful.
http://www.aneesoft.com/tutorials/ipad/best-20-free-ipad-apps.html
It's about frakkin' time.
@Yoshi1080
Sucks to be me - my birthday is this Sunday. I guess I know what I'm not getting.
OMG - I justed checked the Apple NZ website, and it proudly proclaims that we won't be getting the iPad until freakin' JULY!
Anyone got a list of alternative tablets to hand?
@Twitchy No alternative tablets. Try to get money for your birthday.
@Twitchy
Advil or Tylenol?
@Yoshi1080
Yes!!! I think international consists of America and Europe
What about Asia/Africa/Australia.. Antarctica ??
Yea now all Americans/Europeans downrank me because I just typed something which offended you.
Sad
@GnuGeek
Well, "International" means "thorugh many countries", not "every single place in the world" -the word for that might be "Global", anyway-.
So, in this case, the iPad will be released in many countries over Europe. So yeah, Intenational it is.