Apple continues to expand the retail availability of the iPad, as the “magical” tablet can now be purchased on Amazon. It’s not all roses though, as you won’t be able to get every version and there is a bit of a premium buying it through the online retailing giant.
The Apple iPad is not being sold directly by Amazon, as is sold by Mobile Shark and others. You also can’t get the iPad 3G in the 16 GB model, which is kind of a shame but I haven’t found that I really need 3G connectivity with this tablet.
You’ll also have to pay a bit more to get the Apple iPad from Amazon, as the 16 GB WiFi-only model costs $544.99 compared to $499 from an Apple store. That premium is there because … well, I’m not really that sure but I’d suggest just going into a store to buy it. [Update:] As a commentor points out, Amazon’s prices for the 32 GB and 64 GB models are the exact same as Apple’s prices. The only version which costs more is the one not being directly sold by Amazon. I apologize for the confusion.
It’s actually easier than ever to walk into a store to buy an Apple iPad. If there’s no Apple store in your community, you can go to a Best Buy or a Target and the Target one will even come with a slight discount if you use the store’s credit card. Apple seems to have finally gotten its supply issue worked out and its tablet is now widely available.
It’s not a coincidence that the move comes as a glut of Apple iPad competitors are about to hit the market. The Samsung Galaxy Tab will soon be available on all four U.S. carriers and it should have a decent amount of display space in AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon stores. It’s unclear how much these devices will cost but the Galaxy Tab should cost less than Apple’s tablet initially – the Samsung device will probably come with an expensive long-term data contract, though.
We should also see multiple tablets from Research In Motion, Motorola, HTC and Palm by the beginning of next year and all of these will be fighting for shelf space.
[Via Amazon]