Apple's new toy not far off for fans

The device comes in two models, a Wi-Fi-only model and one with 3G network capability.

Gadget lovers in the UAE should be among the first in the world to be able to buy the mobile broadband version of Apple's iPad when it is released internationally in June. Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, unveiled the tablet on Wednesday after months of speculation and rumours about the nature of the product. The device comes in two models, a Wi-Fi-only model and one with 3G network capability.

Etisalat has confirmed that it has started talks with Apple to bring the iPad to the UAE by this summer. "Because of the time difference, our team has scheduled a conference call tonight [Thursday] with Apple to learn when we can make the iPad available in the UAE," said Essa al Haddad, the group chief marketing officer for Etisalat. "We know this will be a game changer. We want to be the first in the world and region to make it available."

Representatives from the telecommunications company du declined to comment. Nathalie Khouri, the marketing manager for Arab Business Machine, the official third-party reseller for Apple products in the Gulf, said the Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad would be released in the region by the end of April. "We're actually trying to get all our information from Apple, but the time difference is killing us," Ms Khouri said.

click here to see the iPad specs The device will be equipped with a special microchip called a "GSM microSIM", about half the size of a normal mobile phone SIM card. The iPad is one of a handful of electronic devices that will use the GSM microSIM. One of Etisalat's subsidiaries, Etisalat Services, operates a plant that makes SIM cards. Mr al Haddad said that the company would begin making GSM microSIMs in "early April, well before the actual iPad is available".

"Part of their road map is to look at other technologies," he said. But the big question everyone is asking is: will people buy Apple's tablet? "One question that is in my mind is content. What sort of content is going to be available or going to be used for the iPad. That might affect demand for it," said Matthew Reed, the Middle East and Africa editor for Informa Telecoms and Media. The UAE may already be out of luck for one of the iPad's more unusual features. While Apple displayed content from several publishers for its iBooks application, a new arm of its iTunes Store, the company has negotiated the licensing rights for electronic books only in the US.

Price will also be an issue for consumers. Apple plans to retail the iPad starting at US$499 (Dh1,832) for a 16-gigabyte, Wi-Fi-only version and up to $829 for a 64-gigabyte 3G version. The company has not disclosed its prices for international models. An unlocked iPhone retails in the UAE for Dh2,399 for the 16-gigabyte version, a mark-up of 15 per cent compared with the same model in the UK. Assuming that the rate will be the same for the iPad, the device could retail in the UAE for between Dh2,107 and Dh3,501.

But the additional premium may not deter UAE consumers from buying the iPad. "People do love their gadgets here. From that perspective, there's certainly a lot of potential for it but we're going to have to wait and see what content is going to be available," Mr Reed said. @Email:[e-mail]