iPad 2 shortages threaten NZ release
UPDATED MONDAY: Tablet still officially scheduled for March 25 release, but shelves are still empty iin the US. The Japan quake has hit key components.
Apple's iPad 2 is still officially scheduled for March 25 release in New Zealand.
That could still happen, but multiple US media reports have American buyers leaving major retail stores empty handed.
The new tablet sold just hours after its release last weekend, according to The Wall Street Journal. And online orders from Apple's website now list a five-week delivery time, up from the original four.
The initial sell-out was caused by the tablet's popularity.
But today, Apple's US website is warning buyers they face a four to five week delivery time.
MacWorld reports that the backlog could take one to two months to resolve.
Efforts to restock following the initial sell-out have been hampered by the Japanese quake.
IHS iSuppli - the site most famous for "tearing down" gadgets to reverse-engineer their component cost ($US326 in the iPad 2's case) - claims that several key iPad 2 components are sourced from Japan, including the battery and memory, and possibly the new, thinner "Dragontail" glass screen.
Expect the iPad 2 to go onsale in New Zealand, as scheduled, on March 25.
But events could mirror the farcical iPhone 4 launch last year, when only a handful of units appeared in shops on the official launch date. They sold out within hours, and online deliveries took a month.
Apple has yet to return NBR's request for comment.
NBR is ordering an iPad 2, so we'll let you know how that goes.
NBR staff
Sat, 19 Mar 2011
Sat, 19 Mar 2011
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iPad 2 shortages threaten NZ release
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