On Friday, Apple new iPad was released in stores after the announcement came earlier this month. Unfortunately, a frenzied public did not rush into Apple stores. In fact, Huffington Post reported "The 30 customers in line when the store opened were outnumbered by the reporters watching them."
The result was unexpected, usually Apple's products especially one as popular as the iPad is expected to create a rage and draw in huge numbers of customers. Business analysts and techies remain curious if the poor opening of the iPad will harbinger poor sales of the product overall.
The delayed released of Apple's very popular product in its second largest market was due to the company's recent lawsuit with Chinese company Proview International Holdings Ltd. over patent issues to which Apple wound up paying $3 billion. In light of the lawsuit, Proview had the iPads removed from the market; as a result apple lost significant sales in the Chinese market.
Apple announced that the third edition tablet or as Apple calls it the "new iPad" will be released in China on July 20th ranging from the same price as is in the U.S. market ($499-$829). The tablet will be sold in black and white. Reservations for the awaited tablet will begin on July 19th Thursday and can be done through the internet or special authorized retailers. On Monday, Apple paid Chinese company Proview $60 million in a trademark dispute.
According to the dispute with Proview, which was settled earlier this month, the Chinese company filed a suit against Apple over the name 'iPad' to which it had bought the rights in 2000. Apple bought the worldwide rights to the name in 2009 and paid Proviews' affiliate company $55,000 for its purchase. Proview claimed that the affiliate had no authority to sell the name.
After a protracted tussle the two finally settled the dispute with Apple paying the almost bankrupt firm $60 million. The case was settled on the urging of Guangdong High People's Court, which released a statement confirming the settlement, "The iPad dispute resolution is ended," the Guangdong High People's Court said in a statement...Apple Inc. has transferred $60m to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter," as reported by BBC News.
With a humdrum of rumors that Apple is moving the release date of the iPhone 5 to August instead of November in light of the highly successful sales of Samsung's Galaxy. And the persistent tension in the smartphone world that has been occupied in a humdrum of its own, with Samsung and Apple involved in a patent tussle, Amazon hinting to launch a smartphone of its own. Apple announced that it will be releasing its new iPad to China markets as soon as July 20th.
