Apple iPad UK pricing: Up to £399 is shoppers' sweet spot
UK consumers place their bets for the iPad's Blighty launch
While UK consumers are already interested in Apple's soon-to-be-launched touchscreen tablet, the iPad's success in Blighty will hinge on its UK pricing.
In a exclusive poll of more than 300 readers of silicon.com and sister publication CNET UK, 15 per cent said they intend to buy an iPad, 49 per cent said they won't, while 36 per cent said 'maybe'.
With the iPad's US launch set for 3 April, Apple has already named its US price. The 16GB wi-fi version will be priced at $499, rising to $829 for the 64GB wi-fi and 3G version (with the 3G data plan as an additional cost).
While Apple has yet to release UK pricing for the iPad, the survey revealed how much UK consumers are willing to pay to get their hands on the device. Of the 170 respondents who answered the question 'How much would you be prepared to pay for an iPad?', the greatest proportion - 36 per cent - said between £300 and £399.
The Apple iPad tablet
(Photo credit: James Martin/CNET)
A hard-bargaining 12 per cent would only be willing to pay up to £199, and another 22 per cent would baulk at paying more than £299.
An extravagant 19 per cent would pay between £400 and £499 for their iPad, and six per cent said they would shell out between £500 and £599 to get their hands on the kit, expected to be launched in the UK in late April. A further two per cent would be willing to pay £600 to £699 for the hardware, along with another two per cent who said they would pay more that £700.
The majority of the self-selecting sample were enthusiasts for the Apple brand, with 63 per cent saying they either 'like it' or 'love it'. Only 22 per cent said they were 'not keen' or 'hate it'.
A quarter said they already own an iPod classic, Nano or Touch, while one in eight professed to be iPhone owners.
The respondents also shared a few of their thoughts on Apple: "They delight with their products - simplicity and ease of use for technically complex products", said one silicon.com reader.
A CNET reader added: "I love their attention to detail and the fact that they understand the harmony that can be created when you manufacture the hardware alongside the software," but continued: "I won't be buying the iPad for a number of reasons. I feel that it is lacking many features and I believe that the OS on it should be more OS X-like rather more like the iPhone."
But not all comments were positive; one respondent said: "Apple products seems to value form over function - look great, but have obvious limitations compared to the wider market."
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