Apple has agreed to offer a two-year warranty for its Pads sold on the mainland of China, making the country the first market worldwide to have such extended after-sales service as a standard option, according to the “South China Morning Post.”
The move comes after Chinese Customs in August categorized the iPad as a laptop computer instead of a “portal multi-functional device” as Apple calls the tablet, the article notes. Elsewhere, Apple only offers a one-year standard warranty, though extended warranties are available at extra cost. The company had argued that the tablet should be treated as a portable multi-function device.
The iPad went on sale in September on the mainland and the question has been raised about whether Apple had violated a regulation enacted in 2002 which requires laptop manufacturers to provide at least a two-year warranty for key components of their products, says the “South China Morning Post.”