The Apple iPad 2 tablet is finally coming to Malta and will be available locally through official channels in the coming weeks, i-Tech can reveal.
Malta has been waiting for the iPad since its launch last year, and when Apple launched the second version last March, Malta was once again left out in the cold.
Maltese tech enthusiasts who really wanted an iPad had to buy it online, bring one back from overseas, or get it from one of the local computers stores which were selling it a premium.
Vodafone Malta, the official Apple communications partner in Malta which already supports the Apple iPhone smartphone, does not yet actively sell, support or provide data plans for the iPad.
A Vodafone Malta spokesman declined to confirm or deny the imminent launch of iPad 2 locally, simply telling i-Tech that: “Unfortunately we are not in a position to give comments about our relationship or discussions with Apple.”
However Vodafone Malta has put a facility on its website where users can “register for updates” regarding the iPad 2. On this page, there is no indication when the tablet will be available locally.
Vodafone Malta is not new to tablets as it already sells models from other manufacturers, based on the Android operating system.
Over the last year or so, i-Tech exclusively reported how Apple representatives held talks with the Maltese mobile communications providers on the possibility of officially launching the iPad in Malta, complete with data plans and support services. However Vodafone remains the prime candidate to sell and support iPad in Malta.
The iPad 2 has a 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen, a 1GHz dual-core A5 processor, two cameras (a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video), 16/32/64 GB of storage, Wi-Fi and 3G mobile communications support (in certain models).
The iPad has created a new market for tablet computers out of nowhere, sparking a frenzy from other manufacturers to churn out their own hardware to satisfy a market that did not even exist two years ago.
These tablets are likened to large smartphones, usually with a seven-inch or 10-inch touchscreen instead of a physical computer. They are lighter than a laptop computer and are ideal for checking e-mail, web browsing, video chatting, watching videos, listening to music, and staying in touch through social networks.
Maltese mobile operators are selling tablets from other manufacturers other than Apple and provide data plans for their connection to the 3G mobile network other than the standard Wi-Fi.
Last year, Apple sold almost 15 million iPads, or 75 per cent of all tablet sales. Around 2.5 million iPad 2 were sold in the first month alone after going on sale earlier this year. This has created supply problems that were compounded by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that affected production.
Still, tablets have limited capabilities, and serious office work and power-hungry applications like video and photo editing still need well-equipped laptops or desktop computers. The real losers in this rise of the tablets are the netbooks, the easy-to-carry small laptops, which are being fast replaced by the tablets.
While here in Malta we are still waiting to have official sales and support for the iPad 2, the rumour mill has already started to churn out the specifications of the next version of the iPad and the iPhone, the latter being reportedly expected in the next couple of months.
What’s sure is that Apple will launch the next version of the operating system for the iPad and the iPhone, known as iOS 5, in the autumn.