New IPad Makes Asia Debut, Widens Lead Over Google
Apple Inc. (AAPL) started selling its new iPad today, betting on a sharper screen and faster chip to extend its lead over Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) in the growing market for tablet computers.
At Apple’s glass-walled store in Sydney’s George Street, employees in blue T-shirts cheered and counted down the seconds until doors opened at 8 a.m., as a line of at least 200 people snaked around the city block. Two hours later, the iPad went on sale at Softbank Corp. (9984)’s Ginza store in Tokyo.
“There seems to be a lot of improvement in the new iPad,” said Takaya Ito, 37, an associate professor at Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin University who was upgrading from his iPad 2. “I read a lot of theses on the iPad, but since the display isn’t so good in the iPad 2, my eyes get tired. I’m hoping the new model will solve that.”
‘Beautifully Integrated’
The new iPad, with a price tag of $499 to $829 in the U.S., includes a chip that enables better graphics, Apple said. It also boasts a screen with more pixels than traditional high- definition TVs and runs on long-term evolution, or LTE, wireless networks that deliver data faster.
Apple will sell a $499 base model that has 16 gigabytes of memory and works only on Wi-Fi networks. An $829 model has 64 gigabytes of memory and works on both Wi-Fi and LTE networks.
After debuting today in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, the device is scheduled to go on sale in France, Germany, the U.K., Canada and the U.S.
“I’ve got all their stuff,” said Jonathan Hakim, 22, a doctoral student and wedding photographer in Sydney who started lining up for the iPad yesterday afternoon. “Everything works together. It’s so beautifully integrated, it’s so streamlined.”
Stephen Parkes, 37, lined up four days ago and was the first customer into the Sydney store. He said he was paid A$950 ($1,000) by freelance employment website Airtasker.com to wait.
“I’ve just had some changes of clothes, some shorts, a warm jacket,” the former truck driver said. “The Apple guys have been pretty good, letting me use their bathroom.”
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