Customers who bought an iPad 3 within the last 30 days can exchange the product for the newest iteration of Apple's full-size tablet, it has been reported.

Since the iPad 3 was only released in March and yesterday's launch of the fourth generation version of the tablet came to many as quite a surprise, it is understandable that many owners of the iPad 3 are, to put it lightly, a little unhappy with the Cupertino company.

Apple has therefore chosen to appease some of its customers with an apparently generous gesture of goodwill, by extending its standard 14-day return policy to 30 days for the iPad 3.

According to ZDNet, staff from Apple's Aberdeen, Birmingham and Kingston stores confirmed their knowledge of the new policy, while those from the corresponding stores in Cardiff and Manchester were completely oblivious to it.

The offer is possible because the iPad 4 is priced identically to the iPad 3, which has now been discontinued.

Something immediately striking about the move is the fact that it is unlikely to affect the majority of Apple's loyal fanbase, who would surely have bought the iPad 3 well before September, which may provoke an even deeper feeling of fanboy betrayal.

The Wi-Fi version of the iPad 4 can be pre-ordered from Friday, and will be in stores from 2 November.