iPads from China include 2 years of AppleCare

Bloomberg reports that iPads sold by Apple in China come standard with two years of the AppleCare protection plan. This differs from the one year standard in all other countries Apple sells the iPad in. The reason iPads from China include two-year warranties is because the Chinese government classifies Apple’s tablet as a computer and computers in China are required by law to include two-year warranties.

We think this is quite interesting and it attests to the fact that many people are considering the iPad as either a laptop/netbook replacement or a secondary computer. The AppleCare protection program does not cover physical damage but covers many hardware and software issues that may occur.

In the United States the iPad comes with one year of warranty for repairs and 90 days of telephone support. You can extend both the repair warranty and phone support to two years for an additional $99.