Apple’s iPad available for pre-order ahead of UK launch

The long-awaited Apple iPad will be in UK shops from May 28, priced between £429 and £699.

Apple-enthusiasts will finally be able to get their hands on the company’s latest device, which has the look and design of an iPhone but the functionality of a laptop, at the end of May – nearly two months after the product’s US launch.

From today, customers can pre-order an iPad for as little as £429, including free shipping before its official UK launch date.  The cheapest device has Wi-Fi and a 16GB memory.  Alternatively, consumers can opt for a 32GB Wi-Fi iPad for £499 or a 64GB one for £599.

However, the more advanced product, which boasts both Wi-Fi and 3G comes with a higher price tag.  The 3G-complete model, which also comes with a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB memory, cost exactly £100 more than the Wi-Fi-only devices, retailing at £529, £599 and £699.

Apple claims the iPad is “the best way to experience the web, email, photos and video.”

The company has already sold over a million iPads since its US launch on April 3.  “Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers,” Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs said last week.

So far, US users have downloaded more than 12 million apps for the iPad and over 1.5 million e-books from Apple’s new iBookstore.

In the last month, 5,000 new apps have been created specifically for the device, which adds to the existing 200,000-strong App Store.