Singapore joins countries halting online iPad 2 orders
updated 03:30 pm EDT, Tue May 3, 2011
Supply shortages begin to hit home
iPad 2 sales have come to a halt at Apple's Singapore online store, checks show. All models, whether Wi-Fi or 3G, are now listed as "currently unavailable." There is no indication of when sales will resume, although it should still be possible to buy iPads through local retail vendors. No physical Apple Stores exist in the city.
The Singapore interruption mirrors a similar one in South Korea, where carriers KT and SK Telecom have temporarily stopped their own online sales. Those two companies have blamed the problem on high demand, with SK adding that its current stock is "depleted." The iPad 2 was only launched in Singapore and Korea late last week.
Availability has so far held safe in major Western countries like the US and Canada. Apple is most likely prioritizing shipments in favor of its biggest markets, in spite of the growing importance of east Asia. The company is dealing with numerous supply issues, including the effects of a March 11th earthquake on Japanese suppliers.
