Demand forces Apple to delay international iPad launch by a month

[eeyoreguy]

Apple on Wednesday revealed that demand for the iPad is far higher than the company predicted, with more than a half-million U.S.-only sales in the first week. As a result, it has delayed the international launch of the iPad by one month.

"Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad," Apple said in a statement. "We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April."

The press release continued: "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. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. 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 U.S. thus far."

Last week, when Apple unveiled iPhone OS 4, the company announced it had sold 450,000 iPads in the product's first five days of availability. Wednesday's announcement revealed that the product sold another 50,000 in the next two days, topping 500,000 in its first week. More than 300,000 of those sales came on the product's first day of availability.

[Keith]

I can't beging to describe how much that sucks

Of course it does mean it won't be in the UK until after I come back from Orlando so I guess it simplifies the where to buy it decision.

[Keith]

hope the apple store at the florida mall will agree to save me one :/ I dont know if they do that kinda thing

[catrancher]

hope the apple store at the florida mall will agree to save me one :/ I dont know if they do that kinda thing

Keith,

They probably won't save you one but I don't think it will be a problem. So far, all the Apple stores up here in my area have an adequate supply. I would think/hope that by the time you get over here, inventory levels will have stabilized somewhat.

Interestingly enough, accessories seem to be more of a problem. Last weekend we tried to get one of the Incase folios from the Apple Store for my wife's iPad. They were out and indicated that they wouldn't have anymore for quite a while. The online Apple Store showed availability as 1 to 2 months. Well, my wife had to go to the mall yesterday so she stopped in the Apple Store with the intent of getting some kind of protective cover. There on the rack were dozens of the Incase folios that they claimed last weekend they wouldn't have for a couple of months. Go figure?

Tom (... what inventory control?)

[Keith]

yeah its very weird :/ my worry is that once everyone knows that theyre not coming international for another 6weeks, people will really start to snap them up over there to bring back so stock may not be that great.

Plus they must be trying to ramp up production to supply the other countries over the coming weeks, it all starts sounding like they may get hard to come by :/

[josh.p.]

hope the apple store at the florida mall will agree to save me one :/ I dont know if they do that kinda thing

Then you get your best pleading voice and ask Tink or another Florida Resident to phone and reserve one in your name

[Keith]

Then you get your best pleading voice and ask Tink or another Florida Resident to phone and reserve one in your name

Well I would but that would only work if the barrier to reserving one was you had to be a Florida resident which I can't really see?

[Britchick]

Thinking about it I don't think it is down to availability. I think they're still wrangling with the mobile companies, why still no price too? After the prat I encountered in the store last weekend, not getting good vibes

[Keith]

Thinking about it I don't think it is down to availability. I think they're still wrangling with the mobile companies, why still no price too? After the prat I encountered in the store last weekend, not getting good vibes

I think it's more about the exchange rate than anything else

[josh.p.]

Well I would but that would only work if the barrier to reserving one was you had to be a Florida resident which I can't really see?

I just thought it would be a bit easier for someone closer to reserve it If someone else in the states phoned up wouldn't it be more expensive for them to phone?