Joining the 21st century.

August 12, 2012 7:53 AM

iPad in South Korea? Buy it here in America or in SK?

I live in South Korea but I'm home for a month's vacation in the States. I want an iPad. They're a bit cheaper here in the States so I figured it makes sense to buy one here. Electrical socket issues aside (no problem there) is there any reason I should hold off and purchase one back in Korea?

I don't need the monthly plan -- SK has a ton of wifi access, so again no problem there.

Please hope me make my decision!

posted by bardic to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

I would buy it in whichever place sells the iPad and accessories (consider getting a good keyboard for it) with the language (and keycaps, etc) defaulted to whichever language you're most comfortable spending most of your time.

If you live, work, and think in Korean, get it in Korea, if you're more comfortable or do most of your work in English, get it in the States.
posted by mhoye at 8:08 AM on August 12, 2012

Just be sure to check and see if you're getting an international warranty and if so, will that change the price.
posted by infini at 8:08 AM on August 12, 2012

I bought a wi-fi only iPad for my mother-in-law who was visiting from Japan. As far as we can tell there is no difference between one bought in Canada and one in Japan. Probably the same for Korean.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:51 AM on August 12, 2012

One reason to wait would be the persistent rumor that there will be an Apple "event" in early September, which could mean a new iPad and discounts on the existing models. One should always take rumors with a grain of salt, of course.
posted by bcwinters at 8:57 AM on August 12, 2012

For what it's worth, US AppleCare works fine in Korea. I brought my MacBook to Frisbee all the time with no problems, except for the fact that it takes much longer to get parts/service in Korea.
posted by acidic at 9:40 AM on August 12, 2012

I'd get in in the US. The warranty (AppleCare) is good for anywhere in the world. The price is almost always cheaper. The language doesn't make a difference, as it's easy to change. The documentation will be in the language of where you buy it, but I rarely look it once I buy one.

The only reason to get one in Korea is being worried about getting stung for import tax when you go back to Korea. As long as you don't bring the box, you should be fine.

If you want to get a WiFi + cellular one, make sure that there's a carrier in Korea that will support it. If there isn't, go for the WiFi iPad. If you get the cellular one, you won't have to have an AT&T account. They're sold without a subscription.

The one thing you need to think about is if you want to get a keyboard to use with it. Do you prefer the US or Korean layout.
posted by nevan at 9:59 AM on August 12, 2012

FWIW, all my friends who have iPads here got them while vacationing in the states, or from visiting family etc. coming to Korea from there.
posted by nile_red at 4:38 AM on August 13, 2012