14 DAY TRIAL // The safest bet for acquiring an iPad 2 on “day one” remains visiting your local Apple store, or one of the retailers carrying the new-generation Apple tablet, as Apple has already extended shipping times for new orders from the original 3-5 day timeframe to 2-3 weeks.
Unlike when the iPad 1 was released, this time customers have the option to acquire their new tablet at one of the many retailers selling Apple’s “magical” device, including the carriers that support its 3G capabilities in the U.S.
In addition to queuing up at their local Apple retail store, iPad fans can buy the tablet at Best Buy, Target, Walmart and select Apple authorized resellers.
AT&T and Verizon are also selling the iPad 2 starting at 5 PM (local time) in the U.S. today.
For now, the 16GB Verizon iPad 2 WiFi+3G retains the 3-5 day shipping listing.
By delaying the shipping times for its iPad 2 not once, but twice in just a few hours, Apple is indirectly signaling that demand for the elusive gadget is huge.
Quoted by Business Insider’s SAI earlier this week, an analyst with Piper Jaffray said that Apple retail stores will not have to deal with long lines.
The reason cited by Gene Munster was, of course, the tablet’s availability at multiple locations.
However, his sales estimates for the first 28 days are over 1 million iPad 2 units. Whether the shipping delays do anything to affect his prognostications remains to be seen.
Since Apple is already having a hard time fulfilling iPad 2 demand in The States, the scheduled March 25 international launch date may well be pushed by a week or two as well.
The iPad 2 comes equipped with dual cameras, Apple’s new A5 chip, and an all-new design.
Though thinner, lighter, and faster than its predecessor, the iPad 2 retains the same 10-hour battery originally advertised by Apple, as well as the original price starting at $499 for the 16GB WiFi model.