14 DAY TRIAL // The 16-gigabyte version of the iPad is now available in China for 3,988 yuan (around 590 US dollars), while the 32GB and 64GB models sell for 4,788 yuan and 5,588 yuan respectively. Analysts trust the device to do quite well in the country, according to a statement from the managing director of technology consultancy BDA China, Ted Dean.
The iPad went on sale in China last week, September 17 (Friday) at Apple's flagship store in Beijing, where customers had begun queuing up since Tuesday to make sure they’d be among the first to get the tablet computer.
Chinese reporters attending the iPad launch interviewed a certain Han Ziwen, who was one of the early campers outside the store, according to channelnewsasia.com.
Han said he planned to buy not one, but two iPads, according to a statement he gave to the Global Times.
Han reportedly added that he preferred to buy the iPad from an authorized seller, rather than on the grey market, with this method of buying being available for several months now in the territory.
Following the launch, analysts jumped in to say they expected to see strong demand for the Apple tablet.
“There’s a growing number of Apple fans in China who have proven their interest in the iPod and the iPhone and based on that demand, the iPad will do well here,” Ted Dean, managing director of technology consultancy BDA China, was quoted as saying by channelnewsasia.com.
Notably, this forecast comes amid higher pricing for the tablet device in China, where it is 20% more expensive in than in the United States.
In related news, Apple has confirmed the official Chinese iPhone 4 launch. The company has scheduled the phone’s public debut for September 25, at Apple retail stores including the new Apple Store Hong Kong Plaza in Shanghai, and the new Apple Store Xidan Joy City in Beijing, which opens on the same day.