Apple Improves The Estimated Shipping Time for new iPad to 1-2 weeks
Having enjoyed the unprecedented demand that resulted in a record launch sales for its third-generation tablet, Apple has started to improve its new iPad supply. While shipping time for the new device were listed as two-three weeks on Monday, all models of the tablet are now being advertised to reach their owners in one-two weeks.
Just five days after the new iPad launch, there came a first slip in shipping time to two-three weeks, with preorders of the launch-day supply sold out in less than two days after the tablet’s unveiling. The 16GB iPad 2 remains available as well, said to ship in one to three business days, except for the Verizon 3G version, which is listed as “in stock” for immediate shipment.
The fact that Apple has improved shipping time for the new iPad suggests the company has been better prepared to provide all buyers with its tablets than during the iPad 2′s launch last year. At the time of that release, the tech giant wasn’t able to meet the overwhelming demand, and estimated shipping times slid to full five weeks at one point.
Improvement in shipping times for the third-generation iPad came despite the record-breaking demand for the device. Over the course of its three day long launch weekend, Apple reportedly sold over 3 million units. In 2011, the company didn’t even announce launch sales of its second-gen tablet as it struggled to keep up with demand.
Better availability on Apple’s home turf is also a good sign abroad, as the new iPad is scheduled to arrive in 24 more countries on March, 23rd, joining the U.S. and nine other countries where the tablet went on sale last week.
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My new iPad is awesome. Glad I got it.
It’s impressive they can reduce the times for the other countries with 25 coming aboard in just three days.
Not that hard to sort out. They earmark a certain number for those countries and the rest is what is being used to fill outstanding orders in the initial ten countries and to restock the stores.
What will be interesting will be to see if the time drop sticks or if it goes back to the 2-3 or higher mark.
From experience (and I don’t mean th experience Cook and Apple have) this is much easier said than done. Ge shear number of complete units that need to be made and that pass quality control is immense. We know this is tough because with considerably fewer units to sell their supply has outstripped their demand much faster with other products.
Why are people buying them online. Every store pretty much has stock don’t they. I mean if our local post office has them in stock then they must be some left at your local super store. I can just comment about what’s happening in Switzerland though. The Apple store in Zurich is even giving away free iTunes cards with a purchase of an iPad.
Funny side note, in anticipation of huge lines for the iPads open sales day the Apple store blocked off the entire block with ropes for lines. There were none, the store never made maxium capacity the entire day. I thought that was cute, they had like 20 news vans outside. We only have one Apple Store in Switzerland so it’s a big deal for us.
This story will be turned into, “Due to insufficient iPad demand, delivery times are rapidly falling.”
Improve? As of yesterday, my Apple order status said that my iPad that I ordered online March 9 would ship on or before March 19? Now it says, “1 – 2 weeks” from today? I’m missing how that’s an improvement???
1) Did you get it engraved?
2) Maybe they are giving yours to someone else… which is an improvement for them.
You didn’t order a “Wi-Fi only” model. Now stop moaning and take it like a man.
Nice to see Apple catching up with demand quicker than in the past.
The iPad really only has one remaining potential challenger — the Win 8 tablets to be released later this year. If those are no more successful than Zune/WP7 then the iPad might dominate tablets for as long as tablets are a relevant product category.
I personally can’t stand the Metro interface and like you said, if the WP7 is any indication, then…
Oh, and one more thing, my iPad had a cosmetic blemish on it and I returned it for another 64GB black WiFi which they promptly brought out from their store room. It appeared that they had enough stock to go around.
I’ve got my new iPad and love it but I do really like the metro style for the touch interface. The thing I like the most are live tiles. There is so much wasted space on the iOS “desktop”. It’s just a personal preference thing, but I’d like to see Apple allow the app icons to be resized by the user and to include live updates as an option. Dont’ like it? Don’t have to use it.
I’m OK with the metro interface for a table for phone, but have to wonder what on earth made them think it would be good for a desktop PC.
The operative word in your sentence is “think”. Balmer is trying to be Steve Jobs and predict where the puck is going. Sorry, Monkey Boy, the game is already over. You lost.
With mere mention of Windows 8′s launch late this year, Android is cornered. No manufacturer and developer will gambling big with Android. They’re all in waiting mode. If by luck MS can release a killer version of Office on ARM then you can kiss goodbye Android tablet (minus Amazon’s).
At the same time people who don’t want to wait will have one choice only.
A Verizon version (should say 4G) always seems to be in stock. I wonder what the reason is for that?
I’ll still continue to pay for my MiFi through Verizon. Even though it’s a contract. I know the iPad can be a hot-spot. I like the flexibility/portability of the Mi-Fi to be on and use with anything, in addition to anyone I am traveling with. There are times when I travel where I don’t want to get the iPad out in addition to a laptop. If my company gave us the option to flip on tethering on the iPhone I’d be set.
The folks manning the assembly lines at Foxconn must be on overdrive. SO tempted to get an iPad but I still feel the generation one iPad is still usable for my basic bed time browsing needs.
Wonder how many bought two iPads only to place on eBay thinking they could turn a quick profit like last year? Man were they wrong this year!
I called Apple Canada and asked if they had any ipads in stock. They told me they never were sold out…
It seems like all the Walmart and Best Buy stores around here have sold out of the 32GB Wifi-only model. I don’t know if it’s just more popular than the others or Apple didn’t make as many, but it’s the one I want and can’t find…
(
Don’t care how long it takes. Until Ipad comes with ISpring, it’s a I-DONT-CARE for me.
Yay! No more backorder!!
Hmm does that mean my order I made last week will end up shipping sooner than originally stated? Time to go check my order status.
Or you could just walk into most retailers (that carry iPads) and get one today…
Well, they kind of need to build them if they want to sell them… Haven’t ordered mine yet and not worried that I’ll get one shortly after I order it.
Placed an order this morning for the Black 64 Wifi n they gave me a delivery date between March 28 – April 4.
My order is a black 32Gig Wifi.
Here i was expecting it to be flying off the shelves, i pre-ordered last week, and now expect it to be delivered to me by 10th april! :/
Just double checked order status, doesn’t even dispatch until april 2nd. It’s just sitting in a warehouse (if it has been already made)
Looks like Apple ramped up production in plenty of time. The downside for them was the number of leaks.
Both stores near me had too many iPads. not even close to selling out.
hope this will mess up eBay $camers plans for profit$
There’s been a sharp rise in availability thanks to a certain display manufacture.
I waited until after opening time last Friday fully expecting to just place an order and wait for it to arrive. They had stack of the new iPads ready to buy and so I walked out with the exact model I wanted in less than an hour.
I second the suggestion to check locally.
My first iPad and it’s great…still exploring.
This was my experience as well. I walked past one of the smaller Apple Stores in a mall at about 1 PM on Friday, fully expecting them to be sold out. Lo and behold, they still had a queue set up and still had all stock of all models. I got in line and got one right there and then in about 15 min.
The card system and the ability to check out anywhere made the process VERY quick and easy for me.
If you’re waiting go look around locally. I preordered mine, but I have been in a couple Walmarts in north Texas and southern Oklahoma over the last couple days and there was plenty of stock.
It seems they were better prepared, there’s lots of stock in my area.
OMG OMG THERES NO DEMAND FOR iPADS ANYMORE!!! |-)
Well, it does seem like everyone on the face of the planet already owns one and those that didn’t were the ones to order one immediately they came available.
They are sending out all the returned “yellow” iPads to people with out OCD’s.
this is great! now everyone that wants an ipad can order what ipad they want now!
It’s nice to read that there’s plenty of stock in the US. But then I’m asking myself: Why should the iPad be available in Spain on 23th and on 20th you still can’t preorder??
dont buy it online … it says 2-3 weeks here in germany and i just went to some random store like best buy in the us and they had plenty. friend got a 32Gb one and canceled his online order
Apple may reconsider this practice. They may actually want the ipads and their products to trickle to stores like they did with the iPad2 so as to create the perception of heaving demand and more brand recognitiion through cravings
The downside of all this is that it may alienate a bunch of people?
It might have something to do with the fact that the guy who used to run manufacturing now runs the whole company.
This may be the “new normal” in the Tim Cook era. His background is in supply chain management.
I believe when the iPhone 4S switched to a reservation system, it became much quicker to pick one up in stores rather than wait online.
Hopefully they keep this up for the iPhone 5
online orders you will get some discount through the credit card companies (at least in the USA) where as if you go and pickup in the store not so much.
also, not everyone is living close to apple store or best buy.
and some guys just prefer to order through online
there could be more reasons for online orders are taking to time deliver.
I pre-ordered from Apple when the wait showed as 2-3 weeks, and then on a whim I stopped at a Verizon store on launch morning to see if they had any in stock, figuring I’d just cancel from Apple if so. They did, and I got the last one. However, before I got around to cancelling from Apple (I figured I had at LEAST a week), I got an email update Sunday that my “shipping in 2-3 weeks” iPad had just shipped! It should be here Thursday!
Thats pretty good considering the popularity of the iPad. Hats of to Tim Cook and co for obviously getting the production run up and running to cope with expected demand. This should see scalpers pretty much out of ripping people off.
UMMM JUST WALK IN THE STORE AND BUY IT.. Thats what i did…. WHY ORDER ONLNE AND WAIT 2 WEEKS???????
I’m hoping that this means my delay for my replacement is reduced. I preordered and got my Black Verizon 64 GB launch day–but it had a problem with the screen coating (wouldn’t wipe clean with a microfiber cloth, and at an angle it looked like it had been wiped down with something corrosive). I can’t go to an Apple retail store to get it replaced, and the shipping date from Apple is April 9th.
Wait times are now back to 2-3 weeks from what I see. Also, yesterday all the Apple stores in Orlando had stock and today none do….
Edit: whoops now it is back to 1-2 weeks again…maybe a weird glitch earlier.
I ordered my iPad yesterday morning before they changed the date, and it showed my delivery date would be April 11. After they changed the availability to 1-2 weeks, it said my iPad would be delivered between March 28 – April 4. Si was very excited.
Target stores in my area still don’t have much in stock. I’m waiting so I can use the employee discount.
Good news. My iPad went from arriving on 4/4 to arriving on 27/3. Still hoping that it might ship even sooner. *fingers crossed*
Just got a notification, might be here tomorrow… nice surprise, so happy
Mine just when to preparing for shipment today and its been 2 weeks exactly sent I ordered it. Just in time too… the gift card I used as part of the payment expires at the end of the month.
So seems like there is still a pretty substantial wait in ordering online.
My daughters iPad said 2-3 weeks but we received it a lot sooner.