Apple opens store doors to iPad pre-sales in the US

Posted on 12 Mar 2010 at 12:40

Apple is opening its store doors to iPad pre-sales in the US today at 5:30am Pacific time. Customers who want the oversized iPhone will be able to put their order in today in the hopes of getting one on the launch date of 3rd April.

Apple is offering two ways to order the iPad: through the online store and through the retail stores. Online store orders will be shipped from the 3rd April, but will not be delivered until a couple of days later. Apple is currently saying that orders are shipped on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Read our guide on how to get an iPad before it's released in the UK

Through retail stores, orders can be taken in person or over the phone. In-store, iPads will be available on the 3rd April. There's no guarantee on the number of units that will be available, but if previous launches are anything to go buy, the Apple Stores will stop taking pre-orders the moment they reach their allocation limit. Be warned, though: there will be no opportunity to waltz into a store on 3rd April and pick up an iPad off-the-shelf.

Both the WiFi and 3G versions will be available for pre-order, although only the WiFi versions will be available on 3rd April. 3G versions should be available within a month of launch, with UK customers able to buy both on its launch here.

As we write this, the Apple store worldwide is currently unavailable. This means that the company is making changes to all stores, including the UK version. The smart money is on the fact that Apple is updating the store in the US to add the pre-order facility, but updating its other stores with local iPad pricing.

Author: David Ludlow

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