Apple delays UK iPad launch
USA 500,000; Rest of World 0
Apple has delayed the UK release of the iPad to allow more Americans to buy the "magical" gadget.
Eager buyers in Blighty will now have to wait until the end of May - or take a trip to the States.
"Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week [on sale], demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks," the company said today.
"Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May."
However, Apple did say it will reveal UK pricing on Monday, 10 May, so there's no need for you to keep checking the company's websites for updates until then.
Today's announcement would seem to confirm Canaccord Adams analyst Peter Misek's claim, made in March, that "unspecified production problem" was preventing Apple from ramping up iPad production. Apple hasn't confirmed this, but it's believed the iPad is being manufactured by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision, aka Foxconn.
Apple has always been cautious about overplaying the iPad's launch outside the US, which was originally scheduled for late March before being put back to late April. ®
COMMENTS
You missed a bit
You missed really, really grating statement from the press release "We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far."
I don't think I can feel pleased that so US doesn't have to wait, we have to. Apple just made 5.8 billion people into second class customers.
Surprisingly high demand my arse.
It's a whacky marketing gimmick to make people think it's in short demand in order to make them pre-order it as soon as they can! Demand can't be that high seeing as they're on the shelves (and on eBay) now. Hardly a stock shortage.
Made an entry in my diary today...
It just says: Bugger!
Very annoying. I do wish Apple would communicate a bit better, rather than trying to be all coy and mysterious. Also, rather than trying to claim that 'we've been surprised by the size of the demand', I'd much prefer the rather more honest 'we've got supply problems'.
Oh well, I suppose my shinyness itch will have to wait to be scratched. And I bet the price on eBay will start to go up again too.
Crikey
Remember to breathe, Gary. In... Out... In... Out... That's it lad.
