Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad became available in 25 contries today as the company’s shares continue to rocket upward. The new iPad was first available in nine countries last week, including the United States, and sales were incredible. The first four days of its availability saw sales totaling more than 3 million, a resounding success for the consumer electronics company. The countries in which the device became available today include many of the most tech savvy wealthy European countries, like Sweden, and some dense population centres such as Mexico. The countries should supply high demand for the updated device and boost Apple’s sales to even higher levels.
Though prices are obviously differentiated by country the device stays pretty in line with the US cost around the world. Under that pricing regime the most expensive iPad, the 64 GB with 4G connectivity, costs $849, while the least expensive, the 16 GB with no 3G or 4G data, costs $499. The company began selling its remaining inventories of iPad 2s for $399 after the release of the new version. The device stays ahead of the curve in tablet technology and will surely inform the designs of the other manufacturers in the industry.
The iPad continues its dominance in a market Apple created with the new incarnation of their device. The tablet market was previously dominated by the iPad 2. The new version includes Apple’s Retina display, scaling it up from the iPhone, 4G LTE connectivity and boasts a better processor among other features. It is likely to be the most popular tablet of all time as the market for the devices continues to grow. The sales of the new gadget eclipsed those of any previous tablet though supply managed to exceed demand. The device didn’t sell out despite the massive sales. The lack of a sell out surprised many commentators though the sharp supply increase explained it. The sales nubers, when released, caused a size able uptick in the company’s stock and it is now trading consistently above $600 dollars, a barrier it broke through the day before the initial release last Friday.
The iPad is available today in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The countries will sell the iPad at individually selected local times.
