ED#125 : Apple To Launch iPad In Malaysia!

People, we have just confirmed that Apple will be launching the iPad in Malaysia in early on Friday, December 3, Tuesday, November 30, 2010! The first batch of Apple iPads will be delivered on the launch date to selected customers who pre-booked their iPads.

We also managed to obtain the official price list. How does it compare to prices in Singapore? Check it out!

With the exception of the cheapest 16 GB WiFi-only model, the other models will either comparably priced, or actually cheaper over here than in Singapore. That's really good news for us consumers, but bad news for gray market resellers who have been having a gala time selling Apple iPads at inflated prices.

All Apple iPads will come with a 1-year international warranty, with the option to extend the warranty for another year by purchasing the Apple Care Protection Plan for RM 349 per unit.

As exciting as this news must be for Apple fans who have been patiently waiting for it to hit our shores, we must lament the fact that it took 8 months to arrive! That leaves us Malaysians just 4 months or so to enjoy the current iPad before Apple releases iPad 2 in April 2011.

Note : These prices are inclusive of the 10% tax on "telecommunication devices" or devices with "telecommunication capabilities", so if you want a lower price, try buying it from electronic stores in international airports.

Update @ Nov. 28 : We managed to get hold of Maxis' exclusive data plans for Apple iPads. Check out the new data plans :

The new data plans will not have any activation fee, or contract period. They will come with a micro-SIM card which is what the iPad (with 3G capability) uses. Alternatively, you can opt for the regular SIM card and use it with the Huawei E5832 MiFi (WiFi modem) which you can purchase from Maxis for RM 380. What do you think? Are the new plans worth it?

IMHO, if you already have an existing data plan with Maxis, you can opt for a secondary SIM card which would set you back RM 15, but it would allow your iPad (or another device) to share bandwidth under the current data plan. It sure beats forking out RM 70 per month for a new data plan!

Update @ Nov. 30 : It looks like we misinterpreted the information our source gave us. We were sent two price lists - an official price list and a discounted price list. It now appears that the discounted price list is actually the official price list for Malaysia, so here's the actual price list for Malaysia :

We didn't print the discounted prices earlier because we thought it was the "dealer" price list* and therefore irrelevant to us consumers. It was also quite inconceivable for Apple to offer such low prices when they are selling them at regular prices in Singapore. However, this appears to be exactly what's happening!

This must be a bitter pill to swallow for those who went to all the trouble to "import" their iPads from Singapore. Even with the 10% telecommunication tax, the Apple iPad is cheaper in Malaysia! In fact, with the exception of the Black Friday offer in the US, these are the LOWEST prices for Apple iPads in the world!

As for the actual launch date, it has been moved up from December 3 to today, November 30. So yes, you can get your really cheap Apple iPad TODAY!

* One of our team members pre-booked his at the discounted price and will be receiving it any time now!

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