If you want to score Apple’s new iPad, you might have to wait for a while. Just two days after Apple announced its upcoming tablet, its expected shipping date – March 16 – was moved to March 19 due to huge demand. In fact, the company’s customer response went off the charts and pre-orders for the device were already sold out.

However, a company spokesperson confirmed that “customers can continue to order online and received an estimated delivery date.” In addition to this, USA Today noted that each customer can only pre-order up to two tablets only.

Expected Delays

Because of the overwhelming demand for the new iPad, the Cupertino-based company is expected to set new sales record later this week. Last year, Apple also experienced an extreme response for iPad 2 from their customers. Due to this, the orders slipped quickly to multi-week shipping estimates. Thus, then Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook called it the “mother of all backlogs.”

The same thing is likely to happen with the upcoming device. While Apple pointed out that it’ll be available in stores this Friday, only those who ordered early can get it. Meanwhile, Australians can receive their new iPad on March 22, while customers in France, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and UK will have to wait within two to three weeks.

Release Details and Rumors

In anticipation of high demand for the new iPad, Apple is believed to increase its production volume significantly. Other than that, they also set a faster international release for the upcoming device. Upon its launch, the company intends to sell the new iPad in 12 regions including the US Virgin Islands, UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Canada and Australia. But because of the pre-order sell out, the worldwide release is not likely to materialize.

Apple’s new iPad was announced during the company’s March 7 event. It features Retina Display, 4G LTE connectivity, iSight camera, voice dictation and a faster A5X processor. Moreover, the device will run of Verizon and AT&T’s network.

The WiFi-only model with 16GB of storage will cost $499, while devices with 4G network is priced at $629. AT&T’s 250 MB monthly data plan for the new iPad is tagged at $14.99, while Verizon Wireless’ 1GB plan costs $20. As for its predecessor, the iPad 2, it will still be available at a hefty $100 discount.