IPad '3' Release Date April 20th For 21 Additional Countries, Apple's New Tablet Goes Global [REPORT]

Apple's new iPad has been available in the United States and Europe for over a month now, but the device has yet to expand globally. The Cupertino-based company is looking to change that, announcing that the next generation tablet will make its debut in 21 additional countries starting on April 20^th.

On that day the iPad will debut in Brunei, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, St. Maarten, Uruguay and Venezuela, according to a written statement from the company. The international roll out is said to continue, expanding to Colombia, Estonia, India, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, South Africa and Thailand starting on April 27^th.

The device will be available in the same model variations that have already debuted in the US and Europe. Tablets featuring either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi with 4G will be for sale in either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB in black or white, according to Apple. Users can purchase the tablet via Apple's website or other authorized retailers.

The recently released iPad 3 features a 9.7 inch Retina display, 1 GHz A5x dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Apple's latest tablet also boasts an upgraded GPU including four cores and a five megapixel camera able to record 1080p video.

Although the tablet sold 3 million units during opening weekend, fans were quick to notice a few issues. The most common concern was overheating occurring in the lower left-hand corner of the tablet, as cited in Apple forums. The second most widely-discussed issue involved the new device's battery charge time. One user on Apple Discussions said that it took six and a half hours to charge the battery from zero to 100 percent.

Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors, the company notes in its announcement. Actual results vary.

Despite these concerns, Apple is expected to have sold as many as 13 million devices during its most recent fiscal quarter that ended in March, according to Ars Technica.

The iPad 3 rollout has been the most aggressive of nearly all iOS devices, writes Chris Foresman of the publication.

The new iPad's international premiere is sure to strengthen and maintain its already successful sales.