Wondering Why You Can’t Pre-Order an iPad? It Isn’t Legal Yet

by admin February 1, 2010 at 12:12 pm

You know you can’t obtain an iPad for least three months, but you may not know the reason you can’t even buy one in advance: Apple has not yet obtained the necessary Federal Communications Commission approval to unleash it on the nation’s airwaves.

The specs on the iPad page mention the lack of FCC approval in tiny print that is easy to miss. And nobody seriously expects the iPad won’t be approved — Apple’s been through this before, with the launch of the first iPhone announced six months before it was available. And the “why?” is almost certainly to have kept as few people in the loop, and only those you could in some way control.

But in an e-mail sent to customers, Apple made the situation a bit more clear. “Some features and applications are not available in all areas,” reads the note. “Application availability and pricing are subject to change. This device has not yet been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.”

Read more: wired.com