New iPad to arrive in China on July 20

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple announced on Tuesday that the new iPad, the third generation of its tablet line, will arrive in China on July 20.

According to Apple's news release, the new iPad will be available through Apple's online store, select Apple authorized resellers and by reservation from Apple retail stores in China.

Reservation requests will be accepted daily beginning July 19 for pick up the following day, the company said, adding that the previous generation of iPad 2 will also be available in China with a reduced price.

Apple introduced the new iPad on March 7, which features Retina display, HD camera and faster processors. The new iPad has so far been available in nearly 50 countries and regions.

The launch of the new iPad in the Chinese mainland came after Apple reached settlement with a local technology company on the use of the iPad trademark.

On July 2, the high people's court of China's Guangdong province said Apple has paid $60 million to Proview Technology (Shenzhen) to settle the dispute concerning the use of iPad trademark in the Chinese mainland.

Proview Shenzhen had previously claimed that the Taipei subsidiary of its Hong Kong-based parent company, Proview International Holdings Ltd, registered the iPad trademark in a number of countries and regions as early as 2000.

Though Apple bought the rights to use the iPad trademark from Proview Taipei in 2009, Proview Shenzhen said it reserved the right to use the trademark it registered in the Chinese mainland in 2001. The two sides have since been entangled in a drawn-out legal battle since 2010, delaying the launch of the new iPad in the Chinese mainland.

China has grown to be Apple's second-largest market after the United States. According to the company, China contributed $7.9 billion, about 20 percent of Apple's revenues during its second fiscal quarter of 2012.