CRI听力:The New iPad Debuts in HK, with Only Online Orders Accepted

At the Apple Store in Central, Hong Kongers are lining up to experience "the new iPad" as it is officially called.
The new iPad is sold at the same debut price as that of its predecessors. One with 16 gigabytes of memory sells for 3,888 Hong Kong dollars, while the other with 32 gigabytes sells for 4,688 Hong Kong dollars.

After surfing the internet on the new iPad, most people expressed their admiration for the device.

"It's nice. The resolution is much higher than before."

"It's unbelievable! It's like looking at reality instead of looking at a screen. You think you are looking at the real thing."

"The first attraction is its resolution. Second, it's two-to-three times faster than before. In fact, the speed improvement is not very noticeable while doing simple tasks, but I think it will be more obvious when you play large-scale games."

As several consumers mentioned, one of the new iPad's major selling points is its high-resolution display which makes its screen much sharper and lifelike than it is on the iPad2. At the same time, its five-megapixel camera is considered a big improvement over that of the iPad2. In addition, the A5X chip makes the new iPad much faster than its predecessors.

Consumers have also noticed that the new iPad looks similar to the iPad2, but is a little thicker and heavier with the stronger battery.

Many people at the Apple Store in Hong Kong say they are interested in buying the new iPad but have been informed they must order it in advance online and are limited to two iPads per order.

Huang Sheng from neighboring Guangdong Province is very disappointed, because his order was not confirmed.

"Many people have ordered online, but it's hard to get approval. I know many people—some I know, some I don't—who have ordered iPads, but none of the orders was confirmed."

One shop assistant at the Apple store says if orders are not approved, consumers must place another order.

"If you order online today, you will get an e-mail from us by 9 p.m., telling you the time when you can come to get your new iPad. But if you don't get the confirmation e-mail, you will have to order again tomorrow."

At the moment, the new iPad is not available on the Chinese mainland. That's why many mainland customers like Huang Sheng have come to Hong Kong to check out the new device.

It has been reported that Shenzhen custom officials are requiring mainlanders returning from trips to Hong Kong to report new iPad purchases upon entry. It is illegal for people to transport and carry a new iPad without reporting it to the customs bureau.

For CRI, I'm Xu Weiyi in Hong Kong.