Apple's New iPad a Hit: Over 3 Million Sold

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Apple (AAPL) continued to make headlines late Monday, this time announcing it has already sold more than three million new iPads since the product went on sale Friday.

"The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold -- the strongest iPad launch yet," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said in a press release. "Customers are loving the incredible new features of iPad, including the stunning Retina display, and we can't wait to get it into the hands of even more customers around the world this Friday."

Apple's new iPad is already available in twelve territories and countries, with 24 more coming online this Friday. Apple's products are offered through its own retail stores as well as select Apple Authorized Resellers in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Apple's new iPad is Long Term Evolution (LTE) capable, which it allows it to run on the high-speed networks from Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) in the United States.

Earlier Monday, Apple announced it plans to begin paying a dividend for the first time since 1995, and that it's launching a $10 billion buyback program.

Shares of Apple gained 2.65% during Monday's trading to close at $601.10. In after-hours, Apple shares are gaining 0.6% to $604.75 according to Nasdaq.com

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--Written by Chris Ciaccia in New York

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