The iPad 2 launched in Malaysia today on 29th April, 2011 together with 10 other countries worldwide barely 2 months after its release in the US. Launch events held throughout the Klang Valley at Apple reseller outlets brought thousands of people out to stand in line and queue for their chance to purchase an iPad 2.
Since I wanted to get an iPad 2 myself, I chose to cover launch happenings at the Machines outlet in MidValley with a tad bit of over enthusiasm. This is what happened.
9PM The Night Before
Anticipating an early crowd and not wanting to miss any coverage opportunities, I showed up at Machines MidValley a little bit before 9PM. No one was there for the queue yet.
Machines MidValley closing for the night.
An hour passed and still no one. The store was closing to prepare for the next day and finally some other guys seemed to have showed up for the queue but turned out to be LowYat.net’s Lucas and Chapree who were looking for people to interview. 10 minutes and 1 interview later; surprise, surprise, that is how I automatically became first in line for the iPad 2. It was the start of a long night.
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Yesterday was an exciting day as Apple finally (!) announced details of the iPad 2 availability in Malaysia via an official press release. Local retailers have also started providing exact pricing in Ringgit but news on store availability still seems a bit hazy.
The following is a summary of the date, pricing, and most importantly retail outlets where you can purchase an iPad 2 on the official launch day.
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The iPad (16GB Wi-Fi) is currently selling for a marked down price of RM1,199 in anticipation for the iPad 2 launch in Malaysia. If you’re looking for a used iPad unit, you may be able to find one that is RM100-200 off that price. While official announcements haven’t been made, prices for the iPad 2 is expected to follow closely with the original iPad pricing starting from RM1,549 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model.
So the question here is, what justifies the RM350 price difference between the iPad and iPad 2 (assuming the latter retains the original iPad pricing)?
iPad 2: What’s New?
(Photo: AllTouchTablet.com)
- Improved Form Factor – The design is very similar but the iPad 2 now comes in white for those looking to stand out. It is also 33% thinner (0.34 inches) and up to 15% lighter (1.33-1.35 pounds). Height and length remain almost the same. In our opinion the thinner bezel, flatter back and lighter unit feels much better to hold. [continue reading…]
UPDATE: It’s OFFICIAL. Friday, 29th April is Launch Day. Via Apple Press Release (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/04/27ipad.html)
Pricing information for the iPad 2 in Malaysia first appeared in local forums here a few days ago as hearsay but the latest news to back up the rumored pricing comes from an internal email of a local retailer. Here is part of that email direct from the leaked source (credit to Hoong.ster):
“as to the price….it should be RM1549(16G wifi) 1849 (32) 2149 (64) For 3G 1,999 (16) 2299(32) and 2599(64)
If the price differs …it shouldnt vary so much from here(the word is SHOULDNT)”
The prices could very well be as mentioned which is similar to the original iPad pricing when it first launched here.
The ‘Leaked’ Pricing in Summary
- iPad 2 (Wi-Fi)
- 16GB : RM1,549
- 32GB : RM1,849
- 64GB : RM2,149
- iPad 2 (Wi-Fi+3G)
- 16GB : RM1,999
- 32GB : RM2,299
- 64GB : RM2,599
There is also another set of prices floating around where the iPad 2 is RM50 cheaper for all models than the leaked pricing shown above. This could be very likely as iPad 2 prices abroad have seen similar reductions.
We’ll just have to wait for the official news. 
Apple is offering the iPad 2 in 12 different configurations of which you will have to select your choice of color (black/white), storage capacity (16GB/32GB/64GB), and data connection (Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi+3G).
While color and storage capacity may be more of a personal preference, selecting between a Wi-Fi or 3G model is not as straightforward especially if the choice weighs heavy on your wallet.
Advantages of 3G over Wi-Fi
First we’ll look at the features available on the 3G model that are not present out-of-the-box on the Wi-Fi model. [continue reading…]
