Apple's new iPad could sell as many as 1 million units on March 16, its first day of release, according to a new report from analyst Gene Munster.
Apple could
sell as many as 1 million units of the new iPad on March 16, the first day of
its release, according to a new analyst report.
We expect
Apple to sell more than [1 million] iPads on 3/16, the day the new iPad hits
retail stores, Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, wrote in a March
12 research note. While the sell-through number is impossible to predict,
given uncertain iPad supply levels, sales of over [1 million] iPads on launch
day would be a slight positive relative to the Street consensus at 10.1
[million] iPads in the Mar-12 quarter.
According to
Munster, Apple sold 300,000 of the original iPad on its launch date in April
2010. While Apple didnt offer a launch-day sales figure for the iPad 2,
massive sales during that first 24-hour period led to rising shipment lead times,
which eventually peaked at two to three weeks.
Certainly, the
new iPad could help Apple push back against other tablets in the marketplace,
according to a separate analyst report.
We believe
Apple will maintain its dominant market share of the fast-growing tablet market
despite increased competition, T. Michael Walkley, an analyst with Canaccord
Genuity, wrote in a March 8 research note. We believe the new iPad has raised
the bar relative to competing tablets with impressive hardware specifications,
competitive pricing and the leading software ecosystem.
Apple is
apparently helped by Android manufacturers increased focus on smartphones over
tablets. While Android tablets were a primary focus at last years [Mobile
World Congress], he added, most Android OEMs offered tablets but focused our
MWC meetings on new smartphone offerings. With the iPad launch, we believe Apple
has extended its leadership position in the fast-growing tablet market.
Apples new iPad
includes a high-resolution Retina Display, a new A5X processor with quad-core
graphics, and a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of shooting 1080p video. It
weighs slightly more than the iPad 2, at 1.4 pounds, and offers comparable
battery life. Those in the U.S. will have the option of purchasing the new iPad
with 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) connectivity on either Verizon or AT&T.
The new iPad
will keep the same prices as the previous model, starting at $499 for WiFi-only
versions, and $629 for those with 4G capability. Prices top out at $699 for the
WiFi-only, 64GB model and $829 for the 64GB model with WiFi and 4G.
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Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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