Apple launches iPad 2 in India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Apple's iPad 2 hit Indian stores on Friday, just over a month after the company started selling the updated version of its popular tablet device in the United States.

The iPad 2, a thinner and faster version that features two cameras for video chat, is priced between 29,500 rupees and 46,900 rupees, depending on the model.

“The response (from customers) has been quite good … we have sold 15 units since morning,” a sales assistant at iWorld, one of Apple's premium resellers, said in New Delhi.

The model with 16 GB of memory that works only on Wi-Fi is priced at 29,500 rupees, while the one that can operate on both Wi-Fi as well as third-generation (3G) mobile networks costs 36,900 rupees.

Customers have the option to buy an iPad 2 with 16, 32 or 64 GB of memory and can choose a model that works only on Wi-Fi or on both Wi-Fi and 3G.

Research firm IHS iSuppli estimates Apple will ship 39.7 million units for all models of the iPad this year.

The first iPad - which went on sale a year ago - sold 300,000 units on the first day, 500,000 in the first week, and crossed the 1 million unit mark in 28 days.