Sales still limited to official reseller

Promised for some time, the iPad is now officially on sale in Israel. Both 3G and Wi-Fi versions of the tablet are available. Prices start at 2,249 ILS ($623) for a 16GB Wi-Fi model, and run through to 3,299 ILS ($915) for a 32GB 3G system. A 64GB 3G tablet is listed, but the pricing is currently missing.

Sales are being handled through Apple's official reseller in Israel, iDigital. Apple has a minimal presence in the country, with no Apple Stores to visit, whether online or off. The Israeli government in fact briefly banned iPad imports, nominally in the belief that the hardware might not conform to regional Wi-Fi standards. iDigital is owned by the son of Israeli president Shimon Peres, which raised suspicions that illicit influence was being used to boost future iDigital sales.

by MacNN Staff