Tech
iPad 3 Throttled in Australia
The unveiling of the eagerly awaited iPad 3 has been met with serious criticism from Australian Apple Nerds for not supporting Australia’s 1800MHz 4G network. Instead, the iPad has been designed for the US market which operates on a 700MHz and 2100MHz band.
It is an unusual step for Apple, who are fiercely warding off worthy competitors such as Samsung who support the Australian network. It basically means that in Australia, the latest Samsung Tablet will trump the Apple’s speed significantly. In a marketplace whereby any battle could lose the war, it is a significant departure from Apple’s strategy of using their vast resources to destroy their competition even in the smallest of markets. Apple is currently fighting a patent issue with Samsung in Australia’s courts.
For those that aren’t Apple Nerds, the fact that the new iPads won’t be operating on the 4G spectrum will mean anyone with a 4G phone or device will not be competing with all the iPad users for bandwidth. Apple are yet to comment on the unusual strategy, but some technology experts believe they have sacrificed universal compatibility for size in the latest generation. Whether this will lead to Australia being the first market Apple loses, only time will tell.
