Apple retail stores overseas will open early on Friday, with the international launch of the iPad set to start when doors open at 8 a.m. local time across the globe.
Apple's regional websites for stores in the U.K, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Switzerland all indicate that they will open at 8 a.m. this Friday, May 28, for the international launch of the iPad. The device is also set to on sale in Spain, where Apple does not have any retail stores.
A retail purchase is likely the best option for customers who did not buy an iPad when preorders were first made available earlier this month. Since May 12, all new iPad preorders are not scheduled to ship until June.
The iPad will launch in a total of nine countries on May 28, with nine additional locations -- Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore -- receiving their iPads in July. Apple has said it will announce dates for nine additional countries at a later date.
The international launch of the iPad was originally scheduled for late April, but Apple delayed it by a month due to stronger than expected demand of the device in the U.S. The iPad 3G has been largely sold out since it first went on sale in America and the end of April.
The first day of iPad 3G sales, on April 30, was enough to push the device past the 1 million milestone in the U.S. alone, with Apple reaching that many sales just 28 days after the hardware was introduced. Apple officials have admitted that they were caught off guard by the strong sales start of the new device.
Apple's regional websites for stores in the U.K, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Switzerland all indicate that they will open at 8 a.m. this Friday, May 28, for the international launch of the iPad. The device is also set to on sale in Spain, where Apple does not have any retail stores.
A retail purchase is likely the best option for customers who did not buy an iPad when preorders were first made available earlier this month. Since May 12, all new iPad preorders are not scheduled to ship until June.
The iPad will launch in a total of nine countries on May 28, with nine additional locations -- Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore -- receiving their iPads in July. Apple has said it will announce dates for nine additional countries at a later date.
The international launch of the iPad was originally scheduled for late April, but Apple delayed it by a month due to stronger than expected demand of the device in the U.S. The iPad 3G has been largely sold out since it first went on sale in America and the end of April.
The first day of iPad 3G sales, on April 30, was enough to push the device past the 1 million milestone in the U.S. alone, with Apple reaching that many sales just 28 days after the hardware was introduced. Apple officials have admitted that they were caught off guard by the strong sales start of the new device.
