iPad Comes to Nine More Countries on Friday

The line outside Apples' Manhattan flagship store when the iPad came out on April 3. Will other countries be as enthusiastic? CREDIT: Denise Chow View full size image

Apple announced on Friday that the iPad will be available in nine more countries' stores starting this coming Friday, July 23.

The tablet computer will hit shelves in five more European countries – Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – as well as Mexico and in three new locations in eastern Asia – Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore.

All six versions will be available, which range in price from $499 for the 16 gigabyte (GB) version to $829 for the 64 GB model with 3G wireless coverage.

The worldwide spread of the iPad is far from over, with Apple saying in a statement that the "iPad will roll out to many more countries later this year."

Though the iPad is only a few months old, rumors have already started about what the next generation of the iPad will look like, and that it might become available this calendar year.

Scuttlebutt has it that the second version of the device might come in 5.6- and seven-inch screens, considerably smaller than the 9.7 inches of screen space available on the current iPad.

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