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Tag: Puerto Rico

  • Apple to launch third-gen iPad in China on July 20

    Apple on Tuesday announced that its new third-generation iPad will debut in mainland China next week, on Friday, July 20.

    Per AppleInsider, the new iPad will be available in China through the Apple online store, select authorize resellers, and by reservation from Apple retail stores. Customers can make reservation requests beginning Thursday, July 19 for pickup the following day between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

    The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white for a suggested retail price of US$499 for the 16GB model, US$599 for the 32GB model and US$699 for the 64GB model. The iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be available for a suggested retail price of US$629 for the 16GB model, US$729 for the 32GB model and US$829 for the 64GB model.

    In addition, Apple will also offer the iPad 2, its 2011 model, for US$399.

    The July 20 launch date announced on Tuesday is a full week earlier than recent reports had suggested the new iPad will debut. Availability of the new iPad in China will come quickly after Apple reached a US$60 million settlement with Proview for the right to use the “iPad” brand name in China.

    The Wi-Fi-only variant of the new iPad gained regulatory approval in China back in late March. Then a month later, in May, the 3G version was also certified for sale by the nation’s government.

    It was speculated that the trademark dispute with Proview was the main reason the new iPad had not yet debuted in China. Last year, the iPad 2 launched in China on May 6, debuting a month and a half earlier than the new iPad will be introduced in 2012.

    Apple’s new third-generation iPad initially launched in 10 places around the world on March 16, including Hong Kong, but not mainland China. Other launch territories in March were the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.K., as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • China regulatory officials approve sale of 3G third-generation iPad

    Give it time and the regulators will eventually say yes…

    Per MarketWatch, regulators in China have approved the 3G version of Apple’s third-generation iPad for sale in that market, signaling that the new iPad could soon become available in another major market.

    The approval of the new iPad model compatible with the China Unicom 3G network was noted on Wednesday, China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center giving Apple the OK to begin selling its latest iPad with model number “A1430.”

    The arrival of the new iPad in China is an important event for Apple, as the nation of over a billion people has become the second-largest market in the world for the company, behind the U.S. The new iPad is already available for sale in most developed countries around the world.

    Wednesday’s report suggested the slow release in China could be a result of an ongoing trademark dispute between Apple and Proview, a company that is the original owner of the “iPAD” name in China. Lawsuits from Proview’s Shenzehen-based operation have accused Apple of acting “with oppression, fraud and/or malice” when it used a U.K.-based proxy company named IP Application Development, Ltd., to buy the rights to the “iPAD” name.

    Regulatory approval for the Wi-Fi-only version of the new iPad was granted by the proper authorities in late March. However, that device has yet to go on sale in China.

    Outside of mainland China, Hong Kong was one of ten places the new iPad went on sale when it launched on March 16. It joined the U.S, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.K, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Last year, the iPad 2 saw a much quicker debut in China, launching there on May 6, 2011. The launch of the iPad 2 drew large crowds, as well as scalpers who offered to resell the device for a markup of 200 yuan, or US$30 U.S.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • iPad 3 gains regulatory in China, exact launch date there unknown

    If you’re over in China, the third-generation is en route and has gained government regulatory approval.

    And that’s a nifty thing.

    Per Engadget China, China’s Quality Certification Center granted iPad model number A1416 last week. That’s a sign that the Wi-Fi iPad could head to retail in China “soon.”

    Additional approvals are needed for the 3G-capable iPad model to go on sale in China. There has been no indication as to when any version of the new iPad will become available to customers in mainland China.

    China has become a very important part of Apple’s business in recent years, as one report last week highlighted in noting that the nation now leads the world in iOS device activations. Last year, the region was the second-largest market for Apple, behind only the U.S.

    Approval of the new iPad comes as Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook was spotted in China this week. Cook was there to meet with government officials to discuss plans to further expand operations in the country.

    Apple did not reveal the specifics of what Cook and officials spoke about, but the company did say in a statement that “China is very important to us and we look forward to even greater investment and growth there.”

    But the impending launch of the new iPad in China also comes as Apple has been engaged in a series of courtroom battles with a local company over ownership of the “iPad” name. Proview has asserted that it is the rightful owner of the “iPad” brand, and that Apple’s purchase of the rights in 2009 through a Taiwanese affiliate of Proview was not a legal transaction.

    Outside of mainland China, Hong Kong was one of ten places the new iPad went on sale when it launched on March 16. It joined the U.S, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.K, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Apple launches iPad 3, includes 4G LTE, Retina Display, faster processor, other features

    You’ve been waiting for it and it’s here.

    Apple on Wednesday announced its next-gen iPad, the new tablet featuring a 2,048-by-1,536-pixel resolution Retina Display that fits 3.1 million pixels into its 9.7-inch display, along with voice dictation and LTE 4G, coming on March 16 to 10 countries.

    Per AppleInsider, the new screen on the iPad has more pixels than a 1080p television and fits in 264 pixels per inch, the pixels cannot be distinguished by human eye at a distance of 15 inches.

    The tablet also boasts a much-improved, 5 megapixel camera as well as voice dictation, allowing users to input text by speaking rather than typing.

    Other new features include the following:
    – High-definition Retina Display

    – New A5X chip with quad-core graphics

    – 5-megapixel iSight camera with advanced optics, shoots 1080p video

    – 4G LTE models allow for connections to faster wireless networks

    – Still offers the same 10-hour battery life.

    The wireless models now 4G connectivity, allowing users to connect to long-term evolution networks from providers like AT&T and Verizon. The new iPad will offer download speeds of up to 73Mbps over LTE and can communicate with international 4G LTE partners such as Rogers, Bell and Telus.

    Another improvement highlighted by Apple Wednesday was battery life, as the new iPad will support 10 hours of battery life on Wi-Fi and 9 hours on 4G LTE.

    The new tablet is slightly heavier than the iPad 2, weighing 1.4 pounds with a 9.44mm thickness.

    The launch will be Apple’s biggest roll-out ever, debuting in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. Quick highlights from Wednesday’s event:
    The new iPad features an A5X processor with quad-core graphics.
    Compared to the Nvidia Tegra 3, Apple says the A5X is twice as fast with four times the performance.

    Other interesting tidbits:

    – The new iPad also has 44 percent better color saturation on its screen.

    – An improved 5-megapixel camera is on the back of the device. The tablet includes an infrared filter and ISP built in to the A5X chip.

    – The new iPad’s camera also features auto-focus and auto-exposure, and uses the same optics system found in the iPhone 4S.
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    – he new camera can also record video in 1080p.

    – There will be two different versions of the LTE-capable iPad models: one for AT&T and one for Verizon. Both will be able to roam worldwide in 3G.

    – The iPad can also act as a personal hotspot, if supported by a carrier, and can connect up to five additional users via this feature.

    – It will also continue to be available in both black and white models.

    – The new iPad will be available at the same price points and capacities: US$499 for 16GB, US$599 for 32GB and US$699 for 64GB. 4G models will be an additional US$130 for each capacity.

    The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of US$499 for the 16GB model, US$599 for the 32GB model and US$699 for the 64GB model.

    iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of US$629 for the 16GB model, US$729 for the 32GB model and US$829 for the 64GB model.

    iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16.

    Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today, and the iPad 2 is now offered for US$399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and US$529 for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.