While Apple’s third-gen iPad launched in most of the world in March and April, the device still has not arrived in China, likely due at least in part to Apple’s trademark dispute with Proview. Now that the trademark issues have been settled, it appears that Chinese consumers will finally be able to get their hands on Apple’s new iPad.
M.I.C. Gadget shares a report from Chinese blog PCPOP, stating that Apple may launch the new iPad in China on July 27th, which will be available for purchase both at Apple Retail Stores, and at Chinese electronic retailer Suning. The device may also launch without a cellular model, although as M.I.C. Gadget notes, the reason why would be unclear, as Apple does sell the 3G-enabled iPad 2 in China. The new iPad is expected to launch at the same price as the iPad 2 currently sells in China.
It’s worth noting that none of this has been confirmed by Apple, and that certain details of the report – such as the lack of a “WiFi + Cellular” model – don’t seem to make a great deal of sense (the cellular-enabled 3rd-gen ipad has already been approved for sale in China). It’s also worth noting that PCPOP does not have an established track record of any sort.
That being said, it does make sense for Apple to make the new iPad available in China at their earliest opportunity – Asia in general (and China in specific) is a very important target market for Apple, and the company stands to gain a great deal from making their products available to the huge population of individuals living there. And now that the Proview trademark dispute is over, there’s nothing standing in their way!
We’re filing this one under “cautiously optimistic.”
