Apple Confirms UK Price And Date For iPad

Apple has confirmed that its popular iPad tablet device will be launched in the UK on 28 May, but UK customers will have to pay a tad more for the iPad than their US counterparts.

UK Launch

Apple officially launched the Wi-Fi version of the iPad in the United States on 3 April, and sold 300,000 units within the first day. At the end of April, Apple confirmed that it had sold one million of the tablet devices, and then it launched the 3G version on 3 May.

However this stunning sales success has meant that UK users have had to wait a month longer than expected to get their hands on the iPad, and US users also faced a small delay for the 3G version.

But the wait is nearly over after Apple confirmed that all models of the iPad will launch in the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland on 28 May. UK users can pre-order the iPad from 10 May however.

UK Pricing

However it seems that UK users will be paying more than their US cousins, even when taking into account VAT. For example, the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi-only version will cost £429, and the 16GB 3G version will cost £529.

This translates to a cost of £365 and £450 before VAT. Now compare this to the United States, where US customers pay £340 (or $499) and £428 (or $629)  for the same machines, before sales tax. This means that UK users will have to fork out approximately five and seven percent more money for the device than their US counterparts.

Ranjit Atwal, a Gartner principal analyst, quoted in the Daily Telegraph, said that it was unrealistic to expect companies simply to sell their products at exchange rate prices. “You should look at what else is on offer in similar markets,” he said, “so the iPad might be an upgrade path for people with an iPod or iPhone, for instance”

The iPad will be available to UK users either via the Apple Store and retail shops, or via mobile operators such as Vodafone, O2 and Orange.

The full UK price list is as follows:

The Wi-Fi-only model will cost £429 for 16GB, £499 for 32GB and £599 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi-plus-3G models meanwhile will cost £529 for 16GB, £599 for 32GB and £699 for 64GB.