Tags: Consumer Electronics, Technology Industry
By Alexander Villafania
MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – Like all hot electronic stuff, there are those who are hoping to cash in on the hype by selling newly launched items for twice to three times their actual price. Sellers from eBay.ph and Sulit.com.ph have started selling iPads just two days after the April 3 launch . Prices set by the online sellers range from P37,000 for the 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi-only model to P50,000 for the 64 Gb model.
The iPad prices, as stated by Apple, range from US$499 (approximately P22,500) for the 16 Gb Wi-Fi only model and US$699 (approximately P31,500) for the 64 Gb model.
One of the sellers also requires a P5,000 deposit for each order as “insurance.”
I recall in 2005 when Microsoft Xbox 360 became available in the Philippines, some units were also being sold online for around P40,000 (the price for the Xbox 360 at that time was US$400 or P18,000). But that’s pittance compared to the Sony PlayStation 3 when it was launched the same year. One person sold a unit for a whopping P70,000, thrice its actual price of P22,000.
A few members from the popular online Apple community PhilMUG have been posting their experience with the iPad. PhilMUG members, Reggie and JaYrUs, took photos of their just-delivered iPads. Members jSaure, g5i and Rapz also posted short impressions about their newly bought iPads.
PhilMUG also conducted a poll among its members if they want to buy it the soonest. Most said they want to wait to see and touch it first, but about 80 said they will buy it regardless of price.
A similar poll is being conducted by online tech magazine Techie.com.ph. The results somewhat differed as a larger portion of those who took the poll said they’d wait for the second generation iPad. Incidentally, there was also a big number of people who said they don’t need it since they already have other gadgets.
I asked a few people in the tech industry who might know when the unit will be launched. Unconfirmed reports say it’s on April 13 but the local official public relations firm of Apple said they do not have a launch date yet.
There is also no confirmation as to whether the iPad 3G model (price ranges from US$629 to US$829) would be made available through Globe Telecom, which had already launched the Apple iPhone in 2008.
One concern with the 3G model is that it uses a micro-SIM, a smaller version of the current SIM standard that all mobile phones in the Philippines currently use. But given Apple’s huge fanbase in the Philippines, as well as its increasing reputation as a premium tech gadget company, it may only be a question of when the iPad would be sold here.
Photo from Apple.com.
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