When ‘sold out’ notices appeared in shop windows and online orders had a lead time of more than a month, it was reasonable to speculate that the iPad 2′s US launch was a success and that the international launch could have to be delayed.  After all, that’s what happened last time.

However, Apple either planned for the inevitably strong response by keeping plenty aside – or strategically limited available stock to create demand and keep it in the news – and have sent out a press release saying their planned 25th March international launch will be going ahead.

The iPad 2′s release will follow the same schedule as the US as it will be up for pre-order at Apple.com at 1am, and in physical stores at 5pm local time.  The late-hour release makes perfect sense, as the queues can build up during the day when they’re much more visible and easier for the media to cover.

Pricing is still being finalized by some countries, but UK iPad 2 buyers will get a nice surprise, as the price has been dropped for once!  The standard 16GB Wi-Fi model will drop below the magic £400 mark and will retail for £399, raising to £479 for the 32GB and £559 for the 64GB.  If you want a 3G iPad 2, you’ll need to add another £100 to those prices.

The question now is, how many will be available online before international buyers are greeted with a month’s wait for their iPad 2?