In the 130 days since the new iPad was launched in the US but officially unavailable on the mainland, gray market dealers have moved in on the market with iPads brought into the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong. However, compared with Apple's previous products, the iPad and the iPad2, the latest model did not perform well, said vendors from Zhongguancun, Beijing's biggest electronic product market.

"The price (of the new iPad) has dropped to around 3,300 yuan ($523) from 3,800 yuan in the last few months, but customer reaction still isn't as passionate as it was for the previous ones," said Li Hai, an Apple vendor at Zhongguancun.

The official iPad to be released on July 20 will cost 3,688 yuan.

Li said customers complain that the new product is heavier than the iPad2 and lacks any major improvements from the old version.

Zhou Xinghai, a 28-year-old finance company employee, said the higher price of the official version made buying on the gray market a better option.

Domestic research firm Analysys International said that last year, Apple sold at least 3 million iPads in China, accounting for about 80 percent of China's tablet market share.

Questions:

1. When will the new iPad be available on the mainland?

2. When did it come out?

3. How much will they go for?

Answers:

1. July 20.

2. It was launched in the United States on March 8.

【New iPad 'will not fare well' on mainland】相关文章：

★ More US films set for China

★ Firm tries to block iPad on mainland

★ Shenzhen cops accidentally shoot cabbie

★ Trilateral naval drill raises concerns over regional stability

★ Obama needs to tread carefully in Chicago strike

★ Olympic mascot maker rejects sweatshop claims

★ Concerns over radiation remain

★ Pandas show interest, but fail to mate at zoo

★ Smoke still clouding up movies and TV

★ Bus caught fire on stack of straw