Hong Kongers Pony Up for Early iPad 2
There is no set release date yet for the iPad 2 in Hong Kong. Even without an official release date for the iPad 2 in Hong Kong, some residents will have the product in their hands by Sunday – two days after it launches in the U.S.
Vendors in the bustling gadget market in Hong Kong’s Sin Tat Plaza, known colloquially as the Mobile Phone Mall, are promising Apple’s latest product to early adopters. Digital Action Telecom has already received 200 orders, said sales manager Kurt Lo. He said eight couriers in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles will hop on planes to Hong Kong after securing about 200 iPads and he will get the device to eager consumers by March 13.
The iPad 2 will first be released in the U.S. on Friday, starting at $499 for the base model. In the Asian-Pacific region, the only confirmed releases are in Japan and Australia, on March 25, and prices are not set yet. An Apple representative said there is no date set for a Hong Kong release.
That means Hong Kongers who want to secure an early iPad 2 should expect hefty premiums. Mr. Lo said he hasn’t yet decided what he’ll charge for the gray-market devices, but his customers have put down a 1,000 Hong Kong dollar (US$128) deposit.
Vivacion is Vivacious!
I’m sure that there will be great deals on ipads as all of the original ipad owners will want to trade up to ipad 2 now. It seems that the longer you wait, the better off you are! Kind of like settling down with someone. If I commit to the ipad 2, I am afraid that a much better version ipad 3 will enter my life shortly after I buy it. Do you know what I mean?