New iPad clears regulatory approval in China

Given the on-going legal battle between Chinese firm Proview and Apple regarding ownership of trademarks since 2001, it is a surprising bit of information that Apple has received regulatory approval for an iPad device last week. This would mean that the company is planning to bring its newest headline making tablet to the most populated country in the world.

The compulsory stamp of approval needed to market the device in China was received by Apple according the website of China Quality Certification Center. While the official announcement regarding when the iPad will go on sale has not yet come around, several unauthorized vendors have managed to smuggle in their own products and sell them at higher prices.

3G versions of Apple’s iPad will still need Chinese regulatory approval for a network access permit, experts have said. But even with the approval, Chinese authorities could still decide to intervene due to the legal battles currently being deliberated in a Higher Court in Guangzhou, China. It might be of note to see that Apple’s iPad dominated China’s tablet market at the end of the Q4 of 2011 with 69.3% market share according to Canalys, a research firm.