New Zealand among first countries outside US to get iPad 2

04.03.2011
Apple ended months of speculation today by announcing the release of the iPad 2, and New Zealand will be among the first countries in the world, outside the US, where it will go on sale.

The iPad 2 is 33 per cent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad. It features Apple's new dual-core A5 processor for faster performance, and it contains two cameras -- a front-facing VGA camera that enables video calling and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video. It will retain a 10-hour battery life. It come in two colours - black and white and there will be a range of iPad 2 Smart Covers.

The device will go on sale in New Zealand on 25 March, with pricing in this country yet to be announced. Local distributors Ingram Micro and Renaissance expect to carry the product from the official launch date. Renaissance CMO Warwick Grey says the company is taking pre-orders.

The iPad 2 will go on sale on 11 March in the US with pricing that ranges from $US 499 for the 16GB wi-fi model to $US 829 for the 64GB model.

"With more than 15 million iPads sold, iPad has defined an entirely new category of mobile devices," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO in the media release. "While others have been scrambling to copy the first generation iPad, we're launching iPad 2, which moves the bar far ahead of the competition and will likely cause them to go back to the drawing boards yet again."

Jobs was present at the official media launch, despite being on medical leave from Apple since January.