SINGAPORE - A new subscription plan for The Straits Times that comes with a Samsung tablet pre-loaded with the ST e-paper has received an overwhelming response, with all early-bird orders fully taken up after the registration site went live on Monday morning (Dec 9).

All 3,000 units set aside for early-bird orders for The Straits Times News Tablet, which include a pre-Christmas collection package, were reserved by 1pm.

At an introductory offer of $24.90 per month with a two-year contract, readers will receive a subscription to the e-paper as well as the Samsung Tab A 10.1-inch Wi-Fi tablet, which normally retails at $398. The device also functions as a normal tablet that can be used to download and access other apps, and surf the Internet.

With The Straits Times News Tablet, the e-paper will be launched automatically when users turn on the device, doing away with repeated log-ins or passwords.

Although the early-bird offers have all been taken up, readers can still leave their contact details at stsub.sg/reg to register their interest before the official launch of the tablet on Dec 18. They will receive their tablets after Christmas.

The early birds who registered on Monday will receive a pre-sale link via e-mail and SMS. Existing ST direct subscribers who registered for the early-bird offer will be contacted by a Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) customer service officer to complete the subscription process. All early birds can collect their tablets from Dec 20 to 22 at Plaza Singapura and will receive a limited-edition cover for their new devices.

The tablet comes with a one-year warranty from Samsung, but the warranty can be extended to two years at an additional $3 a month.

Besides ST, subscribers can also read other publications on the tablet.