Skip to Content

New iPad Demand is 'Off the Charts' with Initial Pre-Order Batch Sold Out

by

ipad3
Apple told USA Today that demand for the newest iPad has been "off the charts" and that the initial batch had been sold out:

"Customer response to the new iPad has been off the charts and the quantity available for pre-order has been purchased," Apple said in a statement. "Customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date."

We previously reported that U.S. pre-orders had already been pushed past its March 16th launch date as of Friday morning, with shipping estimates now having been pushed out to 2-3 weeks in all countries included in the initial batch of launches.

The 3rd Generation iPad will still be available for purchase on March 16th at Apple retail stores, presumably to long lines. The new iPad was announced last week and introduced a Retina Display, A5X Chip, LTE and 5MP Rear Camera.

Popular Stories

MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Are In: Here's How It Compares to the M1 MacBook Air

Thursday March 5, 2026 4:07 pm PST by
Benchmarks for the new MacBook Neo surfaced today, and unsurprisingly, CPU performance is almost identical to the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Neo uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it has one fewer GPU core. The MacBook Neo earned a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, along with a Metal score of 31286. Here's how the...
Read Full Article • 345 comments
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Wednesday March 4, 2026 6:15 am PST by
Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new kind of low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip for $599. The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads,...
Read Full Article • 1360 comments
Multicolored Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature

Apple Accidentally Leaks 'MacBook Neo'

Tuesday March 3, 2026 7:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have prematurely revealed the name of its rumored lower-cost MacBook model, which is expected to be announced this Wednesday. A regulatory document for a "MacBook Neo" (Model A3404) has appeared on Apple's website. Unfortunately, there are no further details or images available yet. While the PDF file does not contain the "MacBook Neo" name, it briefly appeared in a link...
Read Full Article • 402 comments

Top Rated Comments

K
kevinkt
183 months ago
Finally something other than that ridiculous tether thing that u have to pay for.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koobcamuk Avatar
koobcamuk
183 months ago
Dates slipped heavily here in Japan, too. Though Windows 8 looks interesting, there is nothing close to the iPad on the market right now.

At first glance there is, but then, try using one ;)
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adidas Addict Avatar
Adidas Addict
183 months ago
Facepalm:

http://www.slashgear.com/new-ipad-lines-form-outside-apple-stores-10217846/
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
gnasher729
183 months ago
I wonder if apple are constraining supply deliberately to make it even more desirable?

Every time I hear someone claiming this kind of nonsense, it makes me wonder. Every company knows that if you miss an opportunity to sell, the opportunity might be gone. Everybody who has an iPad and wants to upgrade and can't buy will potentially stick with their iPad until the next model is released in a years time. Everybody who wants to buy their first iPad might decide to buy something else instead.

The added desirability (if there is any, some people just hate having to wait, so a "shipping in two weeks" notice make it highly undesirable for them), is far outweighed by the loss in actual sales.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eawmp1 Avatar
eawmp1
183 months ago
The naysayers were right. Apple fails again. :rolleyes:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
KeithJenner
183 months ago
It's a massive overgeneralisation, but you could split iPad owners into three groups:

Those who need the newest items and upgrade every year.

Those who like to keep fairly up to date, but don't necessarily buy every year, maybe every other year.

Those who will keep their iPad as long as they can before spending the money on a new one.

I suspect that the second group is quite a significant proportion. I am one myself, as I upgrade my stuff every other year. These people didn't buy an iPad2, but they are buying now.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments