South Korea's top two carriers have stopped selling the iPad 2 online due to shortages, Reuters is reporting.
Even though it's been less than a week since the iPad 2 went on sale in the country, SK Telecom and KT Corp were unable to sell Apple's second-generation tablet on Tuesday because supplies of the device were so limited.
"Our iPad 2 inventory has been depleted and we apologize for failing to provide enough supplies due to the product's global supply shortages," SK Telecom said on its Web site.
Neither company has disclosed just how many iPads they have sold. However, it's undeniable that sales of Apple's wildly popular tablet have been strong. The iPad 2 debuted in the U.S. on March 11, and Apple reportedly sold nearly a half a million iPad 2s in that first weekend, after which wait time for the device went up to five weeks.
Apple expanded the device to 25 additional countries on March 25, and it reportedly sold out just as quickly. The iPad 2launched in a dozen more countries including South Korea on April 29, where it seems Apple is experiencing similar issues with supply.
Apparently Apple hasn't been able to keep up with demand for the iPad 2, and it reported a decline in iPad sales in its most recent earnings report. Apple sold 4.69 million iPads in the last quarter, a sharp decline from the 7.33 million iPads sold during the fourth quarter, though that included the peak holiday sales season.
In the call, the company's chief operating officer Tim Cook said the company faces "the mother of all backlogs" with the iPad 2.
The reason for the backlog isn't clear, but it's been blamed on a few problems, including a manufacturing glitch, a shortage in touch screen LCD panels, and a shortage in the iPad 2's new speaker.
