BRUNEI - SCORES of iPad 2 devices flew off the shelves at AV Electronics yesterday as the official Apple reseller in Brunei launched the popular tablet.
iPad yesterday received an overwhelming response as customers, more than 200 according to sales executives, thronged the store's Kiulap branch to get their hands on the device, with long queues formed outside the store even before the doors were opened in the morning.
Many prospective buyers though face a longer wait, with the new 3G models in stock reported to be sold out already around noon.
Apple's iPad 2 generated a lot of buzz among the Brunei community since it was first announced two months ago. The original iPad has been a game-changer in the computer market since Apple introduced the device to the world early last year, essentially creating a new computing niche between laptops and smartphones.
The iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 per cent thinner and up to 15 per cent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen and 10 hours of battery life.
The new tablet features Apple's new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes a front-facing VGA camera and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the FaceTime feature which allows face-to-face video calls among iPad users.
As the sole authorised reseller of Apple products, AV Electronics priced the iPad 2 units to match the pricing in Singapore, with Wi-Fi models at $668 for the 16GB model, $798 for the 32GB model and $928 for the 64GB model, while the 3G models are at $848 (16GB), $978 (32GB) and $1,108 (64GB).
Hj Yusoff Soffian Hj Md Freddie, AV Electronics marketing manager, told The Brunei Times yesterday that the firm had brought in 'a good number' of units for the launch, with a second batch of units to come in the store next week. He didn't cite figures.
Customers who couldn't get their hands on the 3G models were told to make pre-orders at the store yesterday as new stocks will arrive on May 5.
Hadi, a sales representative at AV Electronics, told The Brunei Times that customers who came to the store yesterday bought at least two units of iPad 2, the maximum number of iPads allowed each customer to ensure the store meets demand.
"Only the remaining Wi-Fi-only models were available, but those too were selling really fast at the end of the day," he said.
He said that the response from the public had been overwhelming thanks to the popularity of the first-generation iPads.
"It's really a busy day for us here at the store today. Many who came to purchase the iPad 2 were new to the device so we had to respond to their enquiries on the use of the product," he added.
Edri Bashir, one of the customers who could not get his hands on the 3G models and made pre-orders at the counter, said, "This really shows how much Bruneians love to get the highest spec possible when it comes to purchasing computers or gadgets."
-The Brunei Times/ Asia News Network
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