Amid array of challenges, Apple unveils new products

Apple CEO Tim Cook strode through a slickly produced video Tuesday to launch a new iPhone, with few hints of the exceptional string of troubles facing his company including policy reversals, a spyware attack and legal fights.

Cook, from an empty, darkened auditorium, raved over upgraded cameras, brighter screens and new features for some of the Silicon Valley giant's other devices such as the iPad.

"These are the best iPhones we've ever created," Cook said, noting Apple's work to design the "very best products and services to enrich people's lives."

Yet a head-spinning series of problems have occupied the recent public discussion of one the world's most valuable companies. 

Due to a long and loud fight over its online app marketplace, a judge ordered Apple last week to allow developers to sidestep its hefty commission on purchases.

It delayed a plan to scan its customers' devices as part of a child abuse prevention move, after privacy advocates howled over the risk of opening a backdoor for government surveillance.

And then Monday it was forced to roll out an urgent fix after cybersecurity researchers found a weakness that allowed Pegasus spyware to infect Apple devices without users so much as clicking a malicious message.

That said, Apple still possesses massive reach in the digital world and beyond, and manages to be worth over $2 trillion.

Its fans cheered the release of the updated products Tuesday, including analyst Daniel Ives who noted "the supercycle for Cupertino," referring to the California city that is home to Apple's headquarters.

"Apple remains in the midst of its strongest overall product cycle in roughly a decade," he added.

- Array of challenges - 

It is true the company has racked up massive profits driven by the demand for its devices as much of the world hunkered down at home due to the pandemic. 

At the same time legal battles, new laws and the scrutiny of regulators around the world has added up to a series of challenges against the company. 

As Cook expounded on iPhone developments, a group fighting to loosen Apple's control over its App Store tweeted its verdict on the new handset.

"Today's rollout of the iPhone 13 only tells us one thing: new iPhone, same bad App Store," wrote Coalition for App Fairness. 

"It's time for @Apple to #OpenTheAppStore and level the playing field for app developers and innovators."

Apple has started to cede ground on its App Store dominance, including in an agreement with Japanese regulators.

It also faces the legislation adopted by South Korean lawmakers, which banned Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants' payment systems. 

Yet when the verdict came in a California court Friday, Apple barely complained about the ruling ordering it to ease control over its App Store.

Instead it heaved a public sigh of relief the judge had not found it to be an illegal monopoly, which could have opened doors for regulators and prosecutors to go after the tech giant. 

"We consider this a huge win for Apple," it told reporters. 

Agence France-Presse

IPHONE MINI? | Apple to unveil new product on March 21

Apple Inc sent an invite to reporters on Thursday for an event at its Cupertino, California headquarters on March 21, possibly signaling the unveiling of a new, smaller iPhone.

The world’s best-known technology company often reveals new products at such events. It is expected to update its flagship iPhone and iPad products soon.

Some Wall Street analysts expect the company to use the event to unveil a four-inch (10-cm) screen phone, reintroducing the smaller size after enlarging screens with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in 2014.

Apple shares have risen in the past two weeks as Wall Street bet the company will launch a less expensive iPhone this month to boost sales in developing countries like China.

With U.S. consumers upgrading their smartphones less often, manufacturers have been relying on China for growth.

source: interaksyon.com

UP TO $862 MILLION IN DAMAGES | Apple loses patent lawsuit

NEW YORK — Apple Inc could be facing up to $862 million in damages after a U.S. jury on Tuesday found the iPhone maker used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm without permission in chips found in many of its most popular devices.

The jury in Madison, Wisconsin also said the patent, which improves processor efficiency, was valid. The trial will now move on to determine how much Apple owes in damages.

Representatives for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and Apple could not immediately be reached for comment.


WARF sued Apple in January 2014 alleging infringement of its 1998 patent for improving chip efficiency.

The jury was considering whether Apple’s A7, A8 and A8X processors, found in the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, as well as several versions of the iPad, violate the patent.

Cupertino, California-based Apple denied any infringement and argued the patent is invalid, according to court papers. Apple previously tried to convince the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review the patent’s validity, but in April the agency rejected the bid.

According to a recent ruling by U.S. District Judge William Conley, who is presiding over the case, Apple could be liable for up to $862.4 million in damages.

He scheduled the trial to proceed in three phases: liability, damages, and finally, whether Apple infringed the patent willfully, which could lead to enhanced penalties.

WARF used the patent to sue Intel Corp in 2008, but the case was settled the following year on the eve of trial.

Last month, WARF launched a second lawsuit against Apple, this time targeting the company’s newest chips, the A9 and A9X, used in the just-released iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, as well as the iPad Pro.

source: interaksyon.com

No wires, no mess: an ultra-thin wireless keyboard

The elegant Rapoo E6300 for the iPad is an ultra-slim keyboard with high-performance, tactile keys that’ll make cumbersome typing on the tablet’s touch screen a thing of the past. The compact keyboard slides into your pocket or briefcase for easy access anytime, anywhere.

With full-size alpha-numeric keys, the E6300 allows the user to comfortably and quickly type for longer periods of time. Each key has its own spring mechanism, and it’s arranged in a scissor key structure for a practical layout. The slim keyboard offers 80 keys including 15 iPad Hotkeys such as Homepage, Search, Picture Frame Mode, Play/Pause, Mute, Lock/Unlock, Copy, Paste and more.

Only .22 inches thick, the E6300 is one of the thinnest wireless keyboards on the market; but, thin doesn’t mean flimsy. Rapoo expertly designed the keyboard using brushed stainless steel coupling an elegant form factor with durability to withstand every day bumps. On the back of the keyboard is the lithium battery which also lifts the keyboard into a comfortable typing angle, a power switch, syncing button for Bluetooth-enabled devices, and a microUSB charging port to juice up the rechargeable battery. Small rubber feet ensure that the keyboard won’t slide around on smooth surfaces.

Using advanced Bluetooth 3.0 technology, users can pair and connect their iPad to the keyboard instantly. You can get a stable connection within a 360 degree wide range and transmission distance up to 30 feet. You only need to pair the keyboard to your iPad once because the iPad will remember the device pairing for future use.

The battery lasts up to one month before it needs to be recharged with the included cable, and it is compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device.

source: interaksyon.com

Apple’s iPad Air is a major improvement, the best tablet

 Apple Inc has not reinvented the wheel with the iPad Air, but the thinner device, priced higher than many of its competitors, is a major improvement on a successful product, the reviewers wrote on Tuesday.

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg called the iPad Air the best tablet he has ever reviewed.

“That isn’t just because of its slimmer, lighter design, but because Apple boasts 475,000 apps optimized for tablet use – far more than any other tablet platform,” Mossberg wrote.

Mossberg said the new iPad weighs just 1 pound, down from 1.4 pounds for the previous top-of-the-line model, the iPad 4, which is being discontinued.

He also credited the iPad Air’s battery performance, saying the new iPad clocked a battery life of 12 hours and 13 minutes, which exceeded Apple’s claim.

The new full-sized iPad goes on sale from Friday and will be priced starting $499.

Damon Darlin of the New York Times said the gadget is a delight to use, with two antennas to pull in Wi-Fi signals faster than the previous versions did.

Reviewer David Pogue, who recently left the New York Times to start a new consumer-tech website at Yahoo, said the iPad Air is “a fantastic leap into the future if you’re upgrading from an original iPad, or if you’ve never owned a tablet before.”

Pogue said the iPad Air is powered by the A7 64-bit chip, which, according to Apple, means smoother animation in 3D games.

“As a nice bonus, all of Apple’s excellent tablet apps – iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, Keynote – are free with a new iPad. Since they’re usually $5 or $10 each, that’s a sweet bundle,” Pogue said, before adding “that’s what’s new in the iPad Air.”

However, all three reviewers highlighted that the iPad Air is pricier than many of its competitors.

“Do you need to plunk down $500 or more for an Air if you already have an earlier version of the iPad?,” Darlin asked, calling the improvements on the new device “incremental, not revolutionary.”

Amazon.com Inc’s 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX costs $379, Microsoft’s Surface 2 starts from $449, while Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch tablet has a suggested retail price of $400.

Pogue said that given the price, an iPad probably does not need replacing every year or even every other year.

Mossberg concluded: “Bottom line: If you can afford it, the new iPad Air is the tablet I recommend, hands down.”

source: interaksyon.com

October 22: Launch of new Apple iPads

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc next Tuesday is expected to introduce a new line-up of iPads that will compete with the latest tablets from Amazon.com Inc and Samsung Electronics, amid pressure to preserve market share.

The company sent out invitations to media on Tuesday for the October 22 event that read, “We still have a lot to cover” and sported a close-up, half-view of Apple’s logo. The usual stylized, elliptical apple-stalk is replicated and scattered throughout an attached image in multiple hues.

New versions of the iPad, which will go up against Amazon.com’s latest Kindle Fires and gadgets made by Samsung, are expected to feature lighter, thinner designs and more powerful processors. The iPhone maker has come under pressure over the past year to preserve market share and bolster sales against rivals that are rapidly raising capabilities and lowering prices.

News of the October 22 event was first reported by AllThingsD last week.

source: interaksyon.com

Apple to introduce new iPads on October 22 — AllThingsD

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc intends to introduce its latest line-up of iPads on October 22, tech blog AllThingsD cited sources familiar with the company’s plans as saying, meaning Apple would be updating its tablets in time for holiday shopping.

New versions of the iPad, which will go up against Amazon.com Inc’s latest Kindle Fire tablets and other gadgets made by Samsung Electronics, are expected to feature lighter, thinner designs and more powerful processors.

Supply chain sources told Reuters last week that Apple may run into a shortage of so-called “retina” displays for the iPad mini, a smaller version of the tablet that helped popularize the product in 2010. That could in turn limit supply of the gadget during the crucial season.

Apple declined to comment about AllThingsD’s report, which added that the company may also devote some time to detailing new Macintosh computers.

The iPhone-maker has come under pressure over the past year to preserve market share and bolster sales against rivals that are rapidly raising specifications and lowering prices.

Amazon’s new 7-inch Kindle Fire is priced from $229 for 16GB wifi-only models, while Google Inc’s second-generation Nexus 7 offers a similar screen size and storage capacity at the same price.

In comparison, the cheapest model in Apple’s current 7.9-inch iPad Mini lineup with 16GB of storage starts at $329.

source: interaksyon.com

6 Superb Retro Gaming Accessories for the iPad

There are a megacrapton load of really great retro games available for the iPad, but playing them on the tablet's sophisticated touchscreen can feel a little, well, wrong.

To add an authentic dose of vintage goodness to your iPad game-playing, we've found six superb gaming accessories that will bring some arcade action to your Apple tablet.

source: mashable.com

Apple says sold 3 million iPads since Friday

Apple Inc said it sold a total of three million iPads in the three days since Friday, when it launched the new iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad.

This was double the first weekend sales of 1.5 million for Wi-Fi only models for the third generation iPad sold in March, Apple said on Monday.

“Demand for iPad mini exceeded the initial supply and while many of the pre-orders have been shipped to customers, some are scheduled to be shipped later this month,” Apple said.

“We’re working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

The 7.9-inch iPad mini marks Apple’s first foray into the smaller-tablet segment, and is the company’s first major new device since the death of co-founder Steve Jobs last year.

Apple shares were up nearly 1 percent at $582.27 in trading before the bell.

source: interaksyon.com

iPad mini won’t upset low-end market: analysts

Apple Inc’s latest product will attract new customers but the higher-than-expected price is unlikely to make it a threat to low-cost tablets such as Amazon.com Inc’s Kindle, analysts said, in a muted reaction to the new tablet.

Only a few analysts revise their price targets for Apple’s shares ahead of the company’s quarterly results announcement on Thursday. The shares were flat at $615 in morning trade on the Nasdaq.

Canaccord Genuity raised its target on the stock to $800 from $797, while Barclays Capital cut its to $800 from $810.

The 7.9-inch mini version of the iPad has most of the functions and features of the full-size $499 iPad but is cheaper by $170.

However, the $329 price for the Wi-Fi only model was higher than many analysts had expected and some said the gadget might struggle to compete with the cheaper Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Inc’s Nexus 7, which have prices starting in the $159-$199 range.

The device may also lure buyers away from Apple’s flagship 10-inch tablet, they said.

“We were hoping the price would be at least a little lower given its competition is situated as low as $99, with many starting in the $199-$249 range,” Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes said.

His new price target of $800 is more in line with those of other analysts, although most targets are still well above Apple’s current share price.

Demand for Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire is unlikely to be much affected by the launch of the mini given the significant price gap, Nomura Equity Research said.

On a positive note, the high price made it less likely that the device would eat into Apple’s margins, the brokerage said.

Barclays estimated iPad mini sales at more than 5 million units in the December quarter, while Canaccord Genuity forecast sales of 9.25 million units during the three months. Apple sold about 17 million iPads in the quarter ended June.

The iPad mini will help Apple reach a new customer base that may not have been able to afford the higher-end version, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley said.

“While we believe these strong sales will come largely at the expense of Apple’s competition, we concede iPad Mini will likely cannibalize iPad and iPod Touch sales,” Walkley wrote in a research note.

Despite the cannibalization, the mini should greatly expand the market for iPads, whose sales have exceeded 100 million units in just two-and-a-half years after the tablet was introduced, Needham & Co analyst Charlie Wolf said.

Apple will enjoy a very happy holiday season on its refreshed product line and because of the “hopelessly backlogged” iPhone 5 orderbook, he said.

source: interaksyon.com

iPad Mini production may hit 4M per month – DigiTimes

Apple Inc. may be manufacturing up to four million units of a seven-inch version of its iPad tablet starting September, a Taiwan-based tech site reported.

DigiTimes cited sources in the supply chain who said the supply volume for the 7.85-inch iPad is in preparation for the holiday buying season.

"The sources pointed out that the supply chain already started supplying a small volume of 7.85-inch iPad in June with a monthly volume at around several hundreds of thousand," it said.

Apple has been rumored to be making the smaller iPads to compete with smaller and cheaper tablets like the Kindle Fire.

DigiTimes noted rumors in the IT market showing Apple will launch its 7.85-inch iPad in October with a thinner screen frame.

This will allow the new iPad to have a bigger display area than other competing products.

Also, the mini iPad is expected to have a resolution similar to that of the iPad 2.

DigiTimes also said the device is being priced at $299, way above the $199 of Amazon and Google's 7-inch tablet PCs, but added its sources expect the smaller iPad to "create a strong impact on the two devices." — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

9 on trial in China over teenager's sale of kidney for iPad and iPhone

(CNN) -- Nine people went on trial in southern China over allegations they helped a teenager to sell one of his kidneys so he could buy an iPhone and an iPad, a court in Hunan Province said Friday.

Prosecutors said in court Thursday that the nine people "should be held criminally liable for intentional injury," the court in the province's Beihu District said in a statement Friday.

The 17-year-old high school student from Anhui Province -- who was referred to only by his surname, Wang -- suffered renal failure after the kidney was removed in April 2011, according Xinhua.

The defendants included a man named He Wei, who was described the authorities as "penniless and frustrated over gambling debts."

He was "seeking financial gain via the illegal kidney trade" and recruited others to help him look for donors in Internet chat rooms and set up the operation, the prosecutors said.

A surgeon from a provincial hospital in Yunnan Province, Song Zhongyu, carried out the removal of Wang's kidney and transplanted it into the recipient, according to prosecutors.

The proceeds from the sale of the kidney were shared unevenly among those involved, according to the Xinhua report.

Another defendant, Su Kaizong, the contractor of the urology department of the hospital where the operation took place, received 60,000 yuan (about $9,400); He's cut was 56,360 yuan; Song got 52,000 yuan; and two other defendants received smaller amounts.

For the loss of his kidney, Wang allegedly received 22,000 yuan. After he got home, his mother asked him where he had got the money for the Apple products. At that point, he told her had sold his kidney, Xinhua reported.

His attorney requested compensation of 2.27 million yuan on Thursday, the news agency said.

The police detained Song, He, Su and two others in July 2011 and later put the four other defendants -- two nurses, a surgical assistant and an anesthesiologist -- under residential surveillance, the court statement said.

The hearing ended Friday, the court said, and the verdict will be announced at a later date.

The likelihood of the defendants' being found guilty is high: Chinese criminal courts convicted 99.9% of the people who stood trial in 2010, a U.S. State Department report said, citing the Chinese Supreme People's Court.

source: CNN

Apple extends gains in surging tablet market: survey

Apple extended its dominance in the sizzling tablet computer market in the second quarter of 2012, with the iPad grabbing 68 percent of global sales, a survey showed Thursday.

The preliminary report by IDC showed global tablet sales of 25 million — up 33.6 percent from the first quarter and 66.1 percent year-over-year.

Apple got a boost from the March release of its newest version of the iPad, and sold 17 million tablets in the second quarter.

Samsung jumped into second place with sales of nearly 2.4 million, up 117 percent from a year earlier.

“Apple built upon its strong March iPad launch and ended the quarter with its best-ever shipment total for the iPad, outrunning even the impressive shipment record it set in the fourth quarter of last year,” said Tom Mainelli, an IDC analyst.

“The vast majority of consumers continue to favor the iPad over competitors.”
Demand is increasingly strong in sectors such as education, said Mainelli.

“While iPad shipment totals are beginning to slow a bit in mature markets where the device saw early traction, growth in other regions is clearly more than making up the difference,” he added.

Amazon rebounded from a sluggish first quarter to sell 1.2 million of its Kindle Fire, which was launched late last year and is sold only in the United States.

Asus was fourth with 855 million tablets sold, a jump of 115 percent from a year earlier.

The data do not include the Google-Asus co-branded Nexus 7, which was launched in July.

IDC said it expects competition in the tablet market to continue to heat up in the second half of 2012 with new product launches from Amazon, probably Apple, and an influx of Microsoft Windows 8 and Windows RT-based tablets.

“If anything, there’s a real risk that people will have too many options from which to choose this holiday season,” said Bob O’Donnell of IDC.

“Consumers baffled by the differences between Amazon and Google versions of Android, or Windows 8 and Windows RT, may well default to market leader Apple.
Or they may simply choose to remain on the sideline for another cycle.”

Many analysts believe Apple will launch a smaller version of its iPad later this year, and that Amazon will release an upgraded Kindle Fire. Microsoft is set to release its Surface tablet in late October.

source: interaksyon.com

Smaller iPad out to challenge Google Nexus

Apple Inc. is planning to build a smaller and cheaper iPad tablet to go head to head against Google's Nexus, and may come out with it before yearend.

Bloomberg quoted two people with knowledge of the plans as saying the smaller iPad will have a screen measuring seven to eight inches, compared to the current iPad's 9.7-inch screen.

However, the report quoted one of the sources as saying the small size comes at a price - it will not have the high-resolution screen of the latest standard iPad .

Still, it will likely have a price close to Google’s Nexus 7 tablet and Amazon’s Kindle Fire - at about $199. By comparison, a standard iPad costs $499 to $829.

The report quoted Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee & Leach Inc., as saying the smaller but cheaper iPad may stop any inroad by competitors like Google and Microsoft dead in their tracks in the tablet market where iPad is currently king.

“It would be the competitors’ worst nightmare. The ball is in Apple’s court,” Wu told Bloomberg.

While Google’s Nexus 7 - manufactured by Asustek Computer Inc. - has a faster processor and better battery life than Amazon's Kindle Fire, it may find more challenge going up against a smaller iPad, Wu said.

This is because Apple has some 225,000 apps that have been tailored specifically for the current iPad.

Apple also has more than 360 retail stores where the iPad can be purchased and tested by consumers. Google said the Nexus 7 will be available only from its online store, while Microsoft will sell its tablets online and at its smaller chain of 20 stores.— TJD, GMA News

article source: gmanetwork.com

Japan-Based Pinoys Offered Globe App

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom, in partnership with Japan-based company IPS, Inc., recently launched Tokyo03, a mobile application for Apple iOS-based devices that offers unprecedented value to those who make frequent calls to the Philippines from Japan, as well as Philippines-based individuals who regularly call associates and loved ones in Japan, eliminating the worry of having to pay expensive inbound roaming fees or outbound IDD rates.

Currently available for the iPhone, iPad and the iPod, and soon to be available on the Android platform, Tokyo03 is an Internet phone application that assigns the user a virtual number. Virtual numbers function just like regular numbers and can be reached through cell phones or landlines. By giving users a virtual Globe number, Tokyo03 allows those in the Philippines to communicate with their contacts in Japan and be charged local rates simply by dialing a Globe number, as though he were in the same country as the person he or she is calling.

While those in Japan are charged data usage fees for making calls to the Philippines through the Tokyo03 application, those in the Philippines who call their loved ones in Japan on their virtual number only need to pay local rates.

This innovation aims to serve the Filipino telecommunications market in Japan. As the fourth-largest foreign community in that country, Filipinos represent a large proportion of outbound calls, which have long been hampered by high IDD rates. Tokyo03 enables Philippines-based subscribers to save on costs by letting them make international calls to their loved ones in Japan at highly reduced rates.

source: mb.com.ph

Australians get the new iPad early

Apple Inc's new iPad went on sale in Australia early on Friday, greeted by a throng of fans hoping to get hold of a 4G-ready tablet computer that won good reviews despite stopping short of being called a major innovation.

Carrier Telstra stole a march on Apple, commencing sales at just two of its own stores at midnight. Numbers were down compared with previous launches, though a still-solid turnout reflected demand for a new iPad version deemed a collection of incremental improvements.

Apple shares breached $600 for the first time on Thursday on the Nasdaq, but gave up gains and dipped into the red in the afternoon. The stock is up 47 percent for the year and nearly 10 percent for the month, partly on anticipation for the new device. A single Apple share now costs more than the Wi-Fi-only iPad, which is priced starting at $499.

The initial rush for the first new third-generation iPads sold globally was not at one of Apple's gleaming glass and polished wooden stores in Sydney, but across the road at Australian phone company Telstra. Telstra opened two stores just after midnight local time to begin selling the iPad, stealing an 8-hour march on Apple.

David Tarasenko, a 34-year-old construction manager who was the first to pick up the iPad, said ever since Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook revealed the tablet's third iteration, he couldn't wait to get one.

"When Tim Cook announced it, it sounded like such a magical tool. I just got hyped into it, I guess," he said.

The third-generation iPad from Apple - which sports a high-definition "retina" display and comes with a better camera - is capable of operating on high-speed 4G "LTE," or Long-Term Evolution network. But this version is not compatible with Telstra's 4G network in Australia.

The tablet houses a wireless chip from Broadcom Corp and a Texas Instruments Inc driver, components carried over from the previous iPad, according to teardown and repair outfit iFixit.

Influential reviewers Walt Mossberg and David Pogue raved about the iPad's new retina display. Mossberg said "using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription," while Pogue said it made text look "freakishly sharp."

Both Mossberg and Pogue noted that the new iPad had enough technical improvements to maintain its lead in the market.

"Apple hasn't totally revamped the iPad or added loads of new features," Mossberg said, "but it has improved it significantly, at the same price."

Waiting it out

The new iPad is going on sale on Friday in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Singapore, France and Britain.

Elsewhere around the globe, diehards have begun lining up in front of Apple stores. Media pictures showed snaking lines already in place outside stores in Munich, Paris, London, Singapore and Hong Kong.

A sign outside an Apple store in Hong Kong discouraged fans from forming a queue, saying the store will not "serve on a first come first served basis" for the new iPad without elaborating, according to media reports.

"The (lack of 4G access) is not a game-breaker. They've upgraded the 3G technology, which I've tried and it's pretty snappy," said Cameron Ing, a data storage administrator.

Among those lined up outside Sydney's flagship Apple Store was Stephen Parkes, who was paid A$950 ($990) to wait in line for four days by the founder of an odd jobs website.

"I get a high waiting in the line and picking up one of the first products being retailed," said Ryan Han, a student at the University of New South Wales, who had also queued for hours.

"I did that for iPad 1, 2 and will do it for 4 as well," said Han, who was hoping to buy two iPads, for himself and a friend.

Such is the demand for new Apple products that middlemen often pay strangers to buy the latest versions and transport them to markets scheduled for later releases.

A middle-aged Asian man outside the Apple store, flanked by two blue suitcases, said he was hoping to buy several new iPads, ideally more than 10. He declined to reveal his name, nationality or for whom he was buying the tablets.

Apple's market capitalization now exceeds $500 billion and Wall Street thinks it can expand further - should fan-demand persist.

Early signs hint at a strong 2012 for the device, which competes with Samsung Electronic's Galaxy and Motorola's Xyboard, among others. Despite soggy weather, small crowds had already gathered outside the downtown San Francisco Apple store ahead of the launch in the United States.

Apple began accepting orders for the device on March 7, but wait times for shipping it are now two to three weeks in the United States.

Wall Street expects a strong start for the latest iPad and some analysts even expect sales of the current model to overtake the iPad 2. Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 but dropped its price by $100 to start at $399.

Apple may sell 65.6 million iPads, according to an estimate by Canaccord Genuity analysts who also raised their target price on Apple stock to $710 from $665.

So far, the company has sold 55 million iPads since it was launched in 2010.

Tablet sales are expected to increase to 326 million by 2015 with Apple largely dominating the market, according to research firm Gartner. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com