When it comes to showing the love for Apple gadgets, Australian telcos are usually some of the first in line, but the reaction hasn?t exactly been ecstatic for the company?s new wundergadget, the iPad.
Neither Virgin, VHA nor Telstra have begun formal conversations with Apple as to when the product will be available in the country and at what price.
A spokesperson for Virgin Mobile indicated that it didn?t see the iPad as a particularly large opportunity for the company.
?We stock mobile phones at the moment, rather than laptop or tablet type devices,? the spokesperson said. ?Therefore there are no immediate plans to stock the iPad.?
A Telstra spokesperson was slightly more enthused by the announcement.
"Now that the iPad has been publicly announced by Apple, Telstra welcomes the opportunity to talk with Apple about bringing iPad to our Next G network," the spokesperson said.
A Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) spokesperson said the company was ?very interested? in the devices and added that the ?exciting and innovative Apple iPad? would be a welcome addition to its product range.
?Vodafone Hutchison Australia will soon commence discussions with Apple regarding the availability of the Apple iPad in Australia,? the spokesperson said.
IDC telecommunications analyst, Mark Novosel, said the mixed response from telcos could be put down to first generation phobia.
?The iPad is a first generation device, and as such leaves the door open to many improvements,? he said. ?Rather than being a scaled-down Mac, the iPad is a large iPod Touch with extra features added in. Unless you are prepared to carry a bag or hold the iPad in your hand, it will not travel with most people in the same way that an iPod or iPhone does.?
?The US pricing reflects a $US130 premium for 3G which I believe should have been a standard feature across the device line-up. Its hard to see there being a strong demand for the 3G version with current pricing, not to mention that when devices arrive in Australia, prices always get inflated from the US equivalent exchange rate.?
HTA Price at posting:
12.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
