iPad 2 Sold Out 24 Hours After UK Launch

Apple’s latest gadget, the iPad 2, has run out of stock across the UK within 24 hours of its launch, reports have revealed.

Hundreds of fanboys (and fangirls) queued outside Apple’s London flagship stores on Regent Street and in Covent Garden prior to the 5pm launch on Friday 25 March. Within the first 24 hours of availability, Apple stores in London, along with third-party retailers such as Curry’s, PC World and Carphone Warehouse, reported they had sold out of the 9.7-inch tablet PC.

The iPad 2 – which is available in black or white – has also run out of stock in Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol, according to Pocket-lint. In fact, the whole of South-West England is reportedly dry of Apple’s new tablet.

Moreover, it remains unknown when the UK stock will be replenished. As of now, the only way to get your hands on an iPad 2 is to order it online, which can take up to four weeks for delivery.

iPad 2 is faster, slimmer and lighter

Due to the high demand for the gadget, Apple will launch a page on its website at 21:00 GMT today to inform customers of reservation possibilities and guidance on how to pick up the device in store and avoid the long waiting time of online orders, a spokesperson for Apple’s flagship store on Regent Street told T3.

The iPad 2 is available in six versions, with prices ranging from £399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model to £659 for the 64GGB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

Apple’s second-generation tablet is is powered by a dual-core A5 processor, making it faster than the original version. The device is also 33 percent thinner than the previous model and weighs in at 1.3 pounds. Front and rear cameras are also provided for taking pictures as well as video calling.

When it was first launched in the US, the iPad 2 also enjoyed big sales and quickly ran out of stock, with as many as 500,000 units sold on the first day of availability.