So the Apple Philippines Online Store has finally added the iPad to the online store (although the link still goes to a blank page) in preparation for the official release in the Philippines.
Other stores have been selling them too, like the iCampus in Ateneo (at much cheaper prices too).
However, the local launch seemed like a bit too late considering the initial release was way back in April. That’s about 9 months old already.
We know Steve will introduce a new iPad this summer (that’s in 3 months) and it will (hopefully) have all the upgrades people wanted on the tablet (FaceTime HD anyone?). It will also probably have higher storage capacities too.
Buying a new iPad today does not seem to be a reasonable move.
On the other-hand, there’s some advantages too that favors it. For one, you get local warranty and support from official Apple Resellers.
As for the prices, the suggested retail price of iPads in the gray market have actually stabilized to the point that they’re within 5 to 10% which isn’t bad (so the wait isn’t really that worth it). I remember getting a 64GB iPad 3G+WiFi for about Php38,500USD 656INR 55,617EUR 625CNY 4,778 just last month from a source in Greenhills. That’s actually cheaper than the official prices.
So here’s my question to you — you think the uber-delayed launch of the iPad in the Philippines is a win or a fail? Leave your answers in the comment section below. I’m very close to call it a fail but for now, I’ll give it a tie.
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Spidey says:
Fail.
I already settled for the MBA :D
AsCot says:
UBBBBEEEEERRRR DDEEELLLLAAAYYYYEEEEDDD I know i’m a Filipino and Steve Jobs probably thinks Filipinos are stupid but i’m not gonna fall into this cheap trap.. i’d rather wait for ipad 2.0! i waited 9mos to get one.. don’t u think I can’t wait 3 more for somethinhs 5 times better at relatively same price???
mr. bogus says:
SUPER MEGA DUPER FAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anong petsa na! sabagay may mga tao puro pang yabang lang ang kaalaman o mga social climber, bibilhin nila to for sure!
still galaxy tab pa rin, mas maraming features at MAS MAHAL sa ipad.. (ouch fanboy`s).
arnold says:
Win! At that low price point, it’s still a good buy for the majority of consumers who didn’t get out of their way to buy an iPad from the grey market.
Of course, I’m referring to regular Yugatech readers because we’re already waiting for iPad 2 but for the other Filipino consumers who will chance upon the iPad readily available on “regular” stores.
Andre says:
how many people already have it with it being unofficial, it being official just makes it the perfect christmas gift.
dont want an apple device that will be outdated soon? DONT GET ONE
they release every year
Ferdinand Angeles says:
I’m giving Apple an F+
Bam says:
FAIL! Too little too late.
bluewire says:
Too late for the launch…. but happy that the selling price is budget friendly. Competitive price! We dont need to go to neighboring Asian Countries like Hongkong and Singapore. Welcome iPad!
Ferdinand Angeles says:
Dapat siguro palitan ng Apple ang pangalan ng iPad pag release sa Pinas. They can call it iPanis.
gringo says:
Fail…. i think Ipad was run over by the introduction of iphone 4… ^_^
Great Romances says:
Fail, lugi ang mga bibili ngayon.
Maghintay nalang ng bagong iPad.
hubes says:
problema lang when will ipad 2.0 be release here sa atin. baka Dec 2011.
ed says:
the only people who will benefit from this are:
1. local resellers because they can now ride on the iPad’s sales (but not as much as they would have if released a few months ago)
2. consumers who have bought their iPads months ago and require local servicing.
given that the ipad’s lifecycle is about to be refreshed with some very compelling reasons (camera); then most well informed buyers would rather wait.
the good news is that; having the product line officially released here means that it will much more faster for newer models to reach our shores.
e.g.: for iPods; it takes about a month after it gets released in the US. so its likely to be the same here. it definitely wont be dec’11 for ipad 2.
deuts says:
@hubes – in that case I guess it’s a win now. hehe
@Ferdinand – I like the “iPanis”! hahahaha
MobilePinas says:
I think it’s more of a Win if the updates will be also offered to the older version. I also think the changes for the new iPad would be the physical design only.
AsCot says:
@MobilePinas
Dude you should more bout next gen ipad. it’s not just the physical design that’s buzzing up the rumor mill. it’s the upgraded specs e.i rear and front facing cameras, facetime support and retina display. wow with these, i’m gladly, willingly, patiently gonna wait.
ipad 1.0 is a BIG FAIL!
AsCot says:
@MobilePinas
Dude you should read more bout next gen ipad. it’s not just the physical design that’s buzzing up the rumor mill. it’s the upgraded specs e.i rear and front facing cameras, facetime support and retina display. wow with these, i’m gladly, willingly, patiently gonna wait.
ipad 1.0 is a BIG FAIL!
ricardo isip says:
i’ll wait for the ipad with the spec of mac book air and lion os….
nav says:
@hubes tama tama. Then they will release another generation on 2012.
cris says:
I think waiting for the 2nd version to be released in the Philippines will face a similar delay (maybe 9 months again) so *maybe* it won’t really become obsolete in 3 or 4 months. whether the warranty will make a difference, it is hard to say – until you drop it i guess. But i still don’t know anyone personally who had to deal with that kind of grief.
For Appple – it’s a win. The Phil. as another market to unload the *obsolete* stock on
For us, the consumers – it’s a fail. personally i don’t like doing business with a company that doesn’t consider me important (no matter the real or imagined benefits or features of the product)
Bimbz says:
FAIL! Why buy an item that will be obsolete in less than 4 months? Unless of course Apple would offer a very good “upgrade” option from Ipad to Ipad2. If that happens then I will say WIN!
NETGUIDES says:
FAIL.
scorer says:
lagi na lang tayong huli sa pancitan ah- tsk tsk tsk
sana its a massive fail – and im hoping it should really fail nakakainis kasi parang tae tayo sa paningin ni El Jobso and Co. Tae Tae Tae and Pilipinas, kung yung presidente natin nagpunta pa sa states tapus -papansin street hotdog pa ang kinain anu ba yang palabas na yan nasan ang mga dignidad ninyo hehe :D ni hindi nga tayo binisita ni Obama eh nung nag Asian Tour siya, tae tayo!
let’s send them a message na hindi maganda na ganitong yung trato nila satin na parang basura
but i’ll definitely upgrade for the following if maganda review nila
iPad 2 (currently iLove my iPad, its teh best tablet user experience)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (ok na din, kaso jerky ang interface pero manageable naman parang PC lang hehe)
Nick says:
Well at least it will finally arrive in the Phil online Apple store. Maybe the next gen iPad will be released much more closer to its release date.
Romy uyehara says:
Fail…. I already got my ipad from singapore just because i can’t wait for the release of the other tablets, especially those based on windows 7. I’ve heard win 7 is packaging the os for better touch screen interface. Better wait and see .
Robin says:
It looks like the delayed launched allowed the “grey” market to sell at higher than SRP.
PaulC says:
Epic fail.. It is e-waste already.. Give me 90% off the original price its a done deal.. hehehe :)
prosopagnosia says:
I still consider a good laptop over the iPad and I’m happy with my iPod Touch 3rd Gen and LG Optimus One :D
prosopagnosia says:
and yet other peoples opinion are right, steve jobs is running out of ideas.. maybe he’ll release new gadgets like an iCam or an iWatch .. lol
JunAlquis says:
fail like their iPhone antenna fail.
mike says:
for a budget conscious / practical buyer like me I’d say it’s an epic fail. 20+ grand for a soon to be obsolete product, no thanks. But if you’ve got money to burn, I guess it’s a win.
raymond says:
it’s not that bad. by the time the official launch of ipad 2 in the Philippines, that would already be december 2011. Still good for 1 year.
jack says:
EPIC FAIL!!!
Nag-uubos na lang siguro ng supply ng 1st gen iPads ang Apple kaya nagkaroon ng official release dito.
Wait for the iPad 2.0, sayang lang ang pagbili sa overdelayed official 1st Gen iPad dito.
carlo says:
first world gadgets
first world prices
third world considerations
anonymouslurker says:
If the iPad will be available here, wouldn’t Apple’s AppleCare warranty apply even though you got yours from abroad? Correct me if I’m wrong but only iPhone’s are not covered by AppleCare warranty internationally, right?
If so, I think it’s still a win if early adopters will be able to have their iPads fixed here through applecare.
aimee says:
winner!
kiro says:
I’m interested in buying one… ano po ba ang meron sa iPad na wala sa iba?
blue0626 says:
it’s 300000 years late=ifail
ipad 2.0 will be released next year.
jvaldez says:
Obsolete soon, moderate features compared to other tabs and definitely expensive compared to their competitors. I would rather wait for the next one!
Kobe-air says:
Fail-win! Too late but better late than never.
gg says:
it will take max of one year for the ipad 2 to be launched here. within that period, many people may not be able to tolerate their itch to experience the ipad, so they might just settle for the first gen.
it’s more of a business move from apple, using us to disperse all the remaining stocks of ipad. but its a win win solution I guess if they’ll be slashing a large amount on the srp..
al says:
i guess this is off tiopic but i suggest that u get nook color instead,its running android and thers a hack for it already. Devs are working on it…for a tecky person ipad gets boring aftr a while there nothing much to do with it..plus the price, nook color is around 14k brand new online i dont think 1st gen ipad will go that low
mickespiritu says:
looking into the brightside… it’s a win ‘coz at least they brought it here in the Phil, so we’re not that left out at least for 9 months… FAIL ‘coz why bother have an official launch e in a few months may bago nanaman… hahahaha.!!!
Pepe says:
The iPad, in itself, is fail to begin with =p
pabs says:
I don’t need an ipad.
alvin says:
TOTAL FAILURE…APPLE PRODUCTS SUCKS SO ARE THEIR PATRONIZERS.
Quobetah says:
Obsolete?! WTF are you talking about? My 4 year old 1st gen ipod touch is still as usable now than when I first bought it! This is an iOS device were talkinh about!
Apple releases every year, if you dont want to buy a product that gets updated within a few months after you purchased it, di wag ka bibili apple…magtyaga sa ibang substandard na brand na afterr 3 months of release kinakalimutan na ang support.:D
It is still a WIN because of the neutralization of accesory prices and most importantly service support. iPad is one of the greatest inventions ever! If your stil gonna hold out for another 3 months..kawawa ka naman. 3 months un of sana enjoying the iPad as it is now…sooobrang ganda talaga gamitin!:) Just bjy now or give it as a gift…if the upgrades on ipad 2 is really that significant, di ibenta mo. At least naenjoy mo na ang ipad experience ngaun pa lang di ba.;P
wally says:
It failed me because i got my iPad here in the PH 3 days after the official launch in the US.
But for the others who are patient enough to wait for the local release are winners because of cheaper price and local support.
Some of the Pharma companies i know are now shifting to paperless promo materials by using iPads next year so its a win situation for them too.
Thanks to Apple for this innovation.
jums from uranus says:
mr.bogus the ever apple hater.. bitter? pinagmayabang mo na mas mahal ung gtab pro tinawag mo social climber ung fanboys? eh di ba kung social climber ung mahal ang gusto? tsk tsk tsk.. bogus tlga..
John DC says:
really what use is an ipad for a regular juan?
too big for a portable device; there are more than a dozen phones who can do better
too under powered for your common computing needs; that’s what a laptop’s for
use the money for better things in life; don’t be stupid and just ride the “cool” wave
Teknisyan says:
FAIL!!
I’ll just wait for the iPad 2G and I’m hoping that features like Facetime, Retina display, and improvements on the iOS and a much powerful processor will be on the new iPad! :)
http://www.teknisyan.net/2010/06/is-iphone-4g-glimpse-of-next-ipad-2g.html
Iyan Sommerset says:
Fail. The people who want iPads over here…already have them. And then for the rest of us (I say over 95% of the Filipino population) they’re just useless eye-candy. Pinoys want phones, not overpriced fashion accessories.
talakero says:
kung wala kang pambili huwag ka nang tumalak yun lang yun or kung isa kang kirmet (may pera pero nasasaktan ang bulsa or simpleng madamot sa sarili).
kung may pambili ka naman ng mini cooper kesa susuki alto, then so be it, basta masaya ka sa nabili mo, fad man, accessory man, eh sa gusto ko e, paki mong talakero kayong mga masahol pa sa panikerang mga bakla!
ogag says:
Apple Ipads are worthless piece of crap only social climbers idiots value these kind of bullshits…there are a lot of gadgets out there that do better than Ipads…
talakero says:
samsung galaxy, epad, haypad, iPad, redfox or archos are new reinvented innovations – dyan papunta lahat ng computers – di nyo ba napapansin na pati directory ng mga malls touch screen na? pati mga police cars sa mga mayayaman na bansa ginagamit ng matagal na, pati sa mga toilet bowl sa Japan may touchscreen na may heater and dryer controls para mapadali ang pag ebs mo?
pati ba naman dyan papahuli pa tayo at magtiyaga sa keyboards? asus what a crab-crap mentality mga to oo, lumabas ka kasi ng bansa para lumawak ang pananaw nyo, baka naman kasi pipuntahan nyo e mas backward pa sa Pinas haays
Cheers and Merry Christmas to all, i love you all!
apple fan boy former nokia fan boy says:
years ago, a tablet computer was invented…….. it failed…….. then Apple reinvented it………… then the rest followed……………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………….. your guess is as good as mine – sunod sunod na lahat, bandwagon effect ika nga. yung nakaimbento nga e nagulat sa potential ng tablet after iPad, “ay oo nga ano?” best seller pala di lang sa hardward, pati sa app, sige gawa na din tayo bahala na hahahaha
so what if i like apple iPad? you like orange and berries? then grab them, paki alam ko
Quobetah says:
Ung mga nagcricriticize sa iPad ay ung mga hindi pa nakakagamit! Wait till you get you hands on one anddd experience the premium apps na nasa appstore ngaun ewan ko lang kung di kayo mahumaling. Anung underpowerde and sinasabi nyo! Download no at laruin ang “Infinity Blade”! HD 3D gaming gumagana ng malufet sa iPad! Kinailangan pa ng PS3 ng 8 cores na processor para lang makapagrun ng HD games pero iPad smartphone procesor lang pulbos and smooth 3D graphics. Magresearch kayo magcriticize ha!
Edwin Arceo says:
i think its a win. When 2.0 launches who knows when THAT will get launched here. For those who don’t go through the usual upgrade cycle, like me, i wont matter (i just bought mine last week) i’ll be using the iPad for at least two years, by that there will be the iPad 3.0 with more features than 2.0. So?
mr. bogus says:
@jums from uranus: yan lang naman dinadahilan nyo kasi hindi makabili kaya galit sa apple products… wth!!! kahit 50k pa yan i can buy that… my point kaya gusto ko ng galaxy tab ay di hamanak na mas maganda features nun kesa sa ipad(maganda lang battery life)… magbasa ka ng features ng matuto ka…
“APPLE IS ONLY THE FIRST, BUT NOT THE BEST”
Loreto says:
parang sugal nalang. once the 2nd gen. released buy another one.
dandelionne says:
Well,since it’s already here, I wanna buy one because I need the ipad to fill up my boring time at work. I’m more into just surfing,reading and answering thread forums or blogs. Though an upgrade would be nice, as an iphone 3GS user, the release of the iphone4 didn’t make me launch to grab one since I was already contented with a phone that has an ipod and apps that I find useful. In short,it’s ok if my ipad would become obsolete in 3 months time as long as I can do the things I wanna do in just one tablet. Do you really need a camera and retina display (granting you don’t have astigmatism) when I presume most of these ipad users already have all the apple merchandise also?
talakero says:
hopeless talaga haaays pero nakakatuwa talaga mga apple haters/losers, lalo lang ako nababaliw sa apple grabe
scorer says:
Mas maganda ba ang features o mas maraming features? whe? patunayan mo nga kung paano mas maganda
for your reference, i own both :D
scorer says:
@Mr Bogus
@jums from uranus: yan lang naman dinadahilan nyo kasi hindi makabili kaya galit sa apple products… wth!!! kahit 50k pa yan i can buy that… my point kaya gusto ko ng galaxy tab ay di hamanak na mas maganda features nun kesa sa ipad(maganda lang battery life)… magbasa ka ng features ng matuto ka…
“APPLE IS ONLY THE FIRST, BUT NOT THE BESTâ€
Joe says:
fail!
poy says:
Are we talking about how it will sell? because if we are talking about sales then it should be a win. I know for fact that it sold 100+ units in its first day in one of the branches of digital hub. peace! :)
leninmac says:
@Mr Bogus
@jums from uranus: yan lang naman dinadahilan nyo kasi hindi makabili kaya galit sa apple products… wth!!! kahit 50k pa yan i can buy that… my point kaya gusto ko ng galaxy tab ay di hamanak na mas maganda features nun kesa sa ipad(maganda lang battery life)… magbasa ka ng features ng matuto ka…
“APPLE IS ONLY THE FIRST, BUT NOT THE BESTâ€
YEAH RIGHT. ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE APPLE HATERS THAT DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKING. BOTTOM LINE IS ANDROID IS STILL NOT A MATURE OS. IOS IS.UP FOR THE IPAD.
jojohudyo says:
FOR ONE– launching the IPad is a bit no win now… since ipad 2 is already days away… people would rather wait to buy something that would stretch their purchase… better processor, faster and snappier, lighter, with two cameras.. if patience is your virtue. , its either out of idiocity or getting to the in thing if you will opt for the first ipad now… to apple haters out there, try any ios device first before scrutinizing… i used to malign it too.. but after owning an iphone 4,. all things changed–it really is a good phoneand ios made it better— add cydia on it and voila–it is now a true blood smartphone–edit all you want on the layout and programs like you would with android… the IPAD 2— depending on your preference can either be your netbook for all time now or be it a social climber’s toy you would want to flash having.. go and indulge… apple is wickedly great..
luzbell says:
I have used iphone before, currently using samsung smartphones and galaxy tablet. My problem is the samsung galaxy tab frequently crash down..I really hate it when Im done composing long texts and messages then it suddenly crash. So disappointing. I agree that android gadgets have lots of application for free in the play store but to tell you the truth they freeze the gadget most of the time and I need to uninstall then reinstall another app. I am planning to buy a new tablet IPAD AIR, I know that its a lot more expensive than other android tabs but its worth it. Lots of friends.switched to IPAD ibecause it does its job smoothly…