New iPad Arrives In UK

Apple's new iPad has gone on sale in the UK, with Apple Stores opening at 8am local time to offer eager tableteers a chance to pick up the third-gen iOS slate. Queues outside of Apple's flagship Regent Street, London, store began forming a week ago, with stock of the new iPad expected to be tight. Online pre-orders ran out for March 16 delivery within days of sales beginning.

Meanwhile, Apple's carrier partners in the UK will also be selling the new iPad today, and at least one location of retailer PC World jumped the gun and opened at midnight for those who simply couldn't wait. Home deliveries will be taking place over the next eight or nine hours, with shipping notifications firing out over the course of the past week.

Although billed as a 4G model, the UK won't be able to use the LTE capabilities of the new iPad – despite it coming with the same LTE modem as the AT&T version in the US. In the absence of UK LTE networks, users will have to make do with up to DC-HSDPA connectivity, for up to 42Mbps (theoretical) download rates.

As for the US, Apple Stores there will open at 8am local time as well, which means the East Coast has four hours to wait before those queuing will be able to flex their credit cards. Full details on the new iPad in the full SlashGear review, and you can keep up with the launch-day madness in our Apple Hub.