Apple today announced that iPad 2, the second-generation of its breakthrough post-PC device, will arrive in Japan on Thursday, April 28 and Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and eight additional countries on Friday, April 29. iPad 2 will be available at Apple retail stores at 9 a.m. local time, select Apple Authorized Resellers, and online through the Apple Store beginning at 1 a.m. Additionally, iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in China beginning Friday, May 6.
iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect.
Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Japan on April 28 and Hong Kong, India, Israel, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey and UAE on April 29 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in China on May 6, and further international availability will be announced at a later date.
iMovie and GarageBand for iPad apps are available for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store on iPad. The Smart Cover is available in a range of colors in vibrant polyurethane for $39 (US) or rich leather for $69 (US).
Source: Apple Inc.
I looked in the Apple Store this morning and read the iPad 2 wait is down to “1-2 weeks.”
Australian prices –
16 Gig WiFi + 3G – $A729
32 Gig WiFi + 3G – $A839
64 Gig WiFi + 3G – $A949
This despite the Australian dollar being worth $1.08 US.
Sounds like a rip-off to me…
Do you have VAT there?
Not called VAT – but GST (Goods and Services Tax)is a broad sales tax of 10% on most goods and services transactions in Australia. It is a value added tax, not a sales tax, in that it is refunded to all parties in the chain of production other than the final consumer.
There are many domestically consumed items that are effectively zero-rated (GST-free) such as fresh food, education, and health services, as well as exemptions for Government charges and fees that are themselves in the nature of taxes.
Some countries sell INCLUSIVE of all taxes and some (such as US and Canada) sell EXCLUSIVE of sales taxes. Compare the prices after you either include all taxes or exclude all taxes.
The difference is usually the amount that you pay your government for the pleasure of buying something.
You are correct – we have had these discussions before on this forum and Apple hardware sometimes appears sells at a significant premium internationally, even after discounting for VAT. Perhaps there are tariffs involved?
If this were Europe and the VAT were 17%, then the price including the Aussie exchange rate would be reasonable: 64GB 3G –> AUS$949*1.08*0.83=US$851 which would be pretty close to $829. But this is just an example.
According to the internet, Australia has a 10% goods and services tax (GST) and duties ranging from 0 to 17.5%. I don’t know if there is a tariff on the iPad.
Apple rarely if ever resets prices. That means they have to factor in potential future exchange rate change into any pricing. So, the US dollar is at historical lows now, meaning that it is far more likely that the US dollar will be higher in the future, thus you should expect current pricing to seem high in your local currency. If you don’t like it, fly to the US and buy in our local currency. Of course, if you think this is a “rip-off” then you are free to buy a bargain Xoom of Playbook or something. Noone is forcing you to buy an iPad2.
Whoa! Calm down man!
Asia…start your photocopiers!