Apple chief executive Steve Jobs holds the new iPad tablet computing device in San Francisco. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs holds the new iPad tablet computing device in San Francisco. (Kimberly White/Reuters)

Apple says its iPad tablet device will be available April 3 in the U.S., and in Canada and some other countries later next month.

The company said customers will get their hands on the Wi-Fi-only versions of the iPad on April 3, but the version that includes cellular 3G connectivity will come in late April.

Both versions will be available in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K., Apple said in a statement. The device will be available in other countries later this year, the company said.

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The U.S. date is slightly later than the late March delivery date Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced when he unveiled the iPad in January.

In the U.S., the 16 GB device without 3G will cost $499 US, ranging up to the full 3G-enabled 64 GB version for $829.

Apple said prices for the iPad outside the U.S. will be announced in April. Apple has not yet announced a Canadian carrier for the devices' 3G cellular signals.

The iPad is about the size of a hardcover book, half an inch thick and with a 9.7-inch multi-touch screen, similar to the iPod Touch and iPhone.

The device can surf the web using its Safari browser, send emails via an on-screen QWERTY keypad, play music, videos and games, and display e-books.

The tablet can run all iPhone apps and boasts up to 10 hours of video battery life. Apple also announced Friday that the iPad will include 12 new apps designed for the device's larger screen.