Pricing for the iPad with Wi-Fi and iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G, as well as the associated data plans, have been announced for the Japanese market. iPad with Wi-Fi models sold by Apple in Japan are priced at ¥48,800 for 16GB, ¥58,800 for 32GB, and ¥68,800 for 64GB; SoftBank customers will instead have the choice of purchasing the device up front or paying a slightly more expensive two year installment plan. When paying up front on a prepaid plan, iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models are priced at 16GB for ¥61,920, 32GB for ¥72,000, and 64GB for ¥81,840; when using the installment agreement, the total prices raise to ¥66,240, ¥76,320, and ¥86,160. If the customer chooses to sign a two-year contract for unlimited data, however, SoftBank is removing the interest from the installment agreement and offering a modest subsidy, bringing the prices down to ¥58,320 for 16GB, ¥67,920 for 32GB, and ¥77,280 for 64GB models. All iPads sold by SoftBank come with two years of free access to the company’s Wi-Fi hotspot service. Unlimited data service will cost iPad users ¥2,910 a month on contract, while prepaid customers can sign up for 1GB of data for ¥4,410. No announcement of iPad offerings has yet been made by rival carrier DoCoMo, which was rumored to also be offering service for the device. [via Mobile in Japan]
Update: Macworld UK claims Apple has confirmed that all iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models sold in Japan are SIM-locked to SoftBank and will not be readily able to be used on DoCoMo.
