iPad prices in India may begin at Rs 23,000

Apple iPad, the latest tech device routed as that of the next generation gadget, will come to India in April 2010. According to Apple distributors in India, the Apple iPad will be available in India from April onwards.

That is pretty fast, considering the normal delay for almost all cool gadgets to reach us in India. For example, we are yet to receive the Motorola Droid, or the Nokia N900, or the Nexus One. All of which us gadget freaks in India have to get our favourite gadgets from friends or relatives abroad, or browse the back alleys.

Photo: Apple iPad youtube app

Even the Apple iPhone took ages to reach us here in India. Not so for the just-launched iPad.

Apple launched its much anticipated tech gadget, the Apple iPad, claiming to bridging the gap between smartphones and laptops. The 9.7-inch touch-screen tablet was launched in San Francisco by none other than Steve Jobs at a widely – and wildly – anticipated press event.

According to the distributors of Apple in India, the cost of the Apple iPad will be the same in India as that in the US. The lower-end 16GB model will be available for USD 500 (INR 23000) plus 16% VAT, thereby taking it to INR 27000. High end versions of the Apple iPad will sell for USD $599 (Rs28,000) and $699 (Rs32,500), excluding taxes.

The retail shops are expecting a nice time once the iPad is available in India, with many potential customers calling up the shops to inquire about the product.

According to sector experts, Apple has priced the iPad reasonably, considering the fact that the high price of Apple’s iPhone discouraged many potential buyers from buying the device. It seems like Apple has taken a cue from that experience and according to experts, the price tag of Apple iPad is only reasonable considering the volume of functionalities it incorporates.

The Apple iPad can be used to surf the net, check emails, play games or listen to music. It also comes with Wi-Fi and related applications. The most interesting thing about the iPad is its battery, which is capable of playback up to a cool 10 hours. It is clear that Apple is going after the ebook market so far ruled by the Amazon Kindle and Kindle DX e-readers.

Many however think that the Apple iPad was a disappointment, after all the hype about it being a potential saviour for the publishing industry. True, several book publishers have already signed up for the iBookstore app on the iPad. But there is precious little by way of newspapers and magazines on the iPad optimized for the new interface. That is something content creators will have to work on.

Major complaints about the iPad so far include its name (which remind many of a female hygiene product), the large bezel (which may be useful for holding it properly), the lack of a camera, the fact that it is running a version of the iPhone OS and not the OS X Snow Leopard, that it does not offer proper multitasking… and that there is no phone.

It is also thought that companies like Asus and MSI are in the works of producing a product of the same kind albeit additional features. Even HP has plans to launch a tablet computer – but unlike the iPad, the HP Slate will run a version of Windows 7.