New iPad Soon To Launch In China?
May 31, 2012
The new iPad's launch in the People's Republic of China is near at hand. At least that's the implication of a Wall Street Journal article that reports that the latest generation of Apple's bestselling tablet has passed certification testing in China.
According to the Web site of China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, an unspecified Apple device with 3G network capability has been duly licensed for sale in the country. Seeing as the similarly 3G-capable iPhone 4S has been available in China for months now, the device in question is all but certain to be the new iPad.
The Wi-Fi-only variant of the new iPad has been cleared for sale since March. But after two months, it's still waiting to see the light of day in China, where the bulk of its production is carried out. The delay is widely believed to be chiefly ascribable to the ongoing dispute between Apple and Chinese manufacturer Proview over the iPad trademark. A comparable holdup may then be expected in the run-up to the eventual official Chinese market debut of the cellular version of the new iPad.
As noted by The Next Web, upon final approval of its sale in the country, the new iPad will be available through local carrier China Unicom only. Also, the cellular version of the new iPad, although equipped with a 4G LTE-capable module, will not be able to take full advantage of 4G LTE data transfer since no such network in China is compatible with the device's current specifications.
Just a couple of days ago, the new iPad was launched in Guam and the Philippines. As indicated in a page on Apple's Web site dedicated to the device's availability in Asia, the new iPad is still awaiting its launch in China as well as in Indonesia.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Via: The Next Web
