Some context for 1 million iPads sold in 1 month

[GamecockMac]

Coupled with this weekend's launch sales of the iPad 3G (estimated at 300,000 by Gene Munster) and this month's scheduled international iPad launch, it's quite possible Apple will reach 2 million iPads sold for the June quarter.

Assuming an average sales price (iPad and accessories) of $650 (and that's being conservative), that's $650 million in iPad revenue for Apple already, and could reach more than $1 billion for the quarter.

As Apple pointed out in its press release, it only took 28 days to sell 1 million iPads. It took 74 days (more than twice as long) to sell 1 million iPhones in 2007. It took Apple almost two years to sell 1 million iPods.

Apple is already likely the tablet computer market leader. As The Guardian noted last month, IDC analyst David Daoud projected that sales of non-Apple tablet PCs would slip to 1.25 million units in 2010. If Apple hasn't passed 1.25 million iPads sold yet, it will very soon.

 

[Beau10]

The performance is great, it certainly is - especially considering the initial reaction to the device's unveiling was mixed.

But when comparing performance to the initial iPhone sales, keep in mind

1) Initial price of iPhone was deemed unreasonably high. iPad is considered rather a bargain for an Apple device.
2) One carrier lock-in, which certainly spreads the adoption out over time and location.
3) No established platform, no App store... Safari, email, calc, etc - and that was it.

 

[lilo777]

The first couple of millions iPads are not indicative of anything (well that's not entirely true, obviously that they prove that iPad is not an utter failure). Apple has enough very enthusiastic fans to sell the 2 million units of any new gadget. The real story will start after those fans are done buying. Then we'll see how the regular public accepts the device. Remember most of these 1 million units were pre-sold (i.e. people bought the gadget without even seeing it).

 

[r0k]

The performance is great, it certainly is - especially considering the initial reaction to the device's unveiling was mixed.

But when comparing performance to the initial iPhone sales, keep in mind

1) Initial price of iPhone was deemed unreasonably high. iPad is considered rather a bargain for an Apple device.
2) One carrier lock-in, which certainly spreads the adoption out over time and location.
3) No established platform, no App store... Safari, email, calc, etc - and that was it.

These are good points. iPad is benefitting from the iPhone and iPod touch and the well-stocked app store. If these devices didn't come first, iPad sales would certainly be lower. But we aren't dealing with Ifs here, we are dealing with the reality that iPad is kicking some tablet butt.

 

[ARH1956]

I know several people who never considered an Apple product until buying an iPhone and have since become Apple devotees. It would be interesting to know how many iPad owners are first time Apple product buyers, and will the experience "bring them into the fold" so to speak.

 

[Kawjumper201]

I know several people who never considered an Apple product until buying an iPhone and have since become Apple devotees.

This was me exactly! I never really had played around with any apple products besides an ipod thought that was pretty cool tho. Then my brother got a iPhone while i thought my sidekick was awesome I seen that phone and fell in love with it i canceled my tmobile contract $200 then went to att and purchased a iphone $500. I now own a 20 " iMac, have had every gen of iPhone, bought my wife a macbook 13" and now my latest purchase 16GB iPad. I have not regreted one purchase from my local Apple store.

 

[mpuck972]

To bad it's not a real tablet computer, it's a media consumtion device with a few added abilities. Until it can do true parallel processing (not half-assed multi tasking), and has a true file system, it's really not a computer. It's
It's like saying a calculator is a computer.

 

[sracer]

To bad it's not a real tablet computer, it's a media consumtion device with a few added abilities. Until it can do true parallel processing (not half-assed multi tasking), and has a true file system, it's really not a computer. It's
It's like saying a calculator is a computer.

Looks like someone needs to do a little research into what a real computer is.

 

[WilliamG]

Looks like someone needs to do a little research into what a real computer is.

Hah too true. You'd be surprised what a *computer* is.

 

[James L]

To bad it's not a real tablet computer, it's a media consumtion device with a few added abilities. Until it can do true parallel processing (not half-assed multi tasking), and has a true file system, it's really not a computer. It's
It's like saying a calculator is a computer.

Has Apple ever called it a "real tablet computer"?

 

[Kawjumper201]

To bad it's not a real tablet computer, it's a media consumtion device with a few added abilities. Until it can do true parallel processing (not half-assed multi tasking), and has a true file system, it's really not a computer. It's
It's like saying a calculator is a computer.

I work with windows all day at work I will be the first one to say I would never use windows on my mac! Also you are probably one the the people calling the iPad a big iTouch.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I am not an iPad detractor (I had a WiFi then sold for a 3G), but let's put some more into context:

1) Apple's comparison w/ the iPod is a little more than a distraction because a) the iPod was initially Mac only, b) only played audio for the first 3 generations, and thus a limited market, and c) only it its stride after the the iTMS became established. The iPad, buy comparison, was introduced with an instant infrastructure and widespread familiarity with iPhone OS.

2) Similarly comparing it with the original iPhone sales also isn't a clean and neat fit because a) the iPhone required a contract, b) was only available unsubsidized and was one of the more expensive phones available, and c) did not have an App Store.

1m+ iPad sales is impressive, but lets not get brainwashed by Apple's press release. What is vital is that the iPad is more than an early adopter device like a PS3, which also had strong launch sales (around 1m in the first 6 weeks) then took a nose dive. I think it's premature and dangerous to call Apple the computer tablet leader when its effectively the only player right now. I don't think an Android tablet will overtake the iPad but if Apple rests on its laurels it's quite possible.

Initially annual sales estimates were 6-10 million. Apple needs to crush those numbers.

 

[LazarusLong]

Another View of 1 million iPads

Barnes & Noble was dancing in the streets early this month because they'd sold more Nooks in March than Amazon sold Kindles. But in 27 days I'd bet Apple sold more iPads that B&N has sold Nooks since it was launched in November.

 

[gwynne]

Remember most of these 1 million units were pre-sold (i.e. people bought the gadget without even seeing it).

Source?

 

[nick82]

This is admittedly a small data set...

My wife took her iPad 3G to a staff meeting for her school district (she's an elementary school teacher) and it was a huge hit. I think we may have finally reached the point where a mainstream tablet is feasible.

I think they're going to continue selling well in the coming months. The majority of computer users don't want/need a file structure or broad multitasking. OS4 should solve the worst use cases for both of these.

Give the geeks/early adopters a chance to show them off and people will be lining up to buy rev2.

Nick

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Remember most of these 1 million units were pre-sold (i.e. people bought the gadget without even seeing it).

That is false. Apple announced it sold 300K units at launch including all WiFi preorders. Today's 1m units sold announcement does not include the 3G, so Apple has sold 700K units after launch. Presumably most of these people either played with a demo in-store or with a friend/family member/colleague's iPad before buying.

 

[czachorski]

The first couple of millions iPads are not indicative of anything (well that's not entirely true, obviously that they prove that iPad is not an utter failure). Apple has enough very enthusiastic fans to sell the 2 million units of any new gadget. The real story will start after those fans are done buying. Then we'll see how the regular public accepts the device. Remember most of these 1 million units were pre-sold (i.e. people bought the gadget without even seeing it).

Your post reminded me of the editorial predictions for the iPhone right after release by PC Magazine. Lance Ulanoff and the prior editor, Jim something, made the following predictions: One said the iPhone would soar and then fail, the other said it would flounder then soar. They were following similar flawed logic as you cite above. They tried to be cute making opposite predictions, and they both got it wrong, as the iPhone soared the whole way.

This myth that there is some Apple loyalists who buy anything, followed by the "real public" who will then judge the device based on its merits is a crock. You are welcome to make such predictions, but history has shown it is a naive bet, and you will be proven wrong soon enough.

 

[sracer]

This myth that there is some Apple loyalists who buy anything, followed by the "real public" who will then judge the device based on its merits is a crock. You are welcome to make such predictions, but history has shown it is a naive bet, and you will be proven wrong soon enough.

Good observation. Those who embrace that myth increase the intensity of predictions of doom for each subsequent Apple product. iPad detractors claimed that it would be Apple's biggest failure since the Newton. When that didn't happen, they tightened their grip on the claim that only Applebots would buy it.

Eventually Apple will product a product that is a flat-out dud. Those Apple bigots will parade around triumphantly proclaiming that they were right. (ignoring the fact that before that point they had been repeatedly wrong.)


word of advice: bet the streak, you'll only be wrong once.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Eventually Apple will product a product that is a flat-out dud. Those Apple bigots will parade around triumphantly proclaiming that they were right. (ignoring the fact that before that point they had been repeatedly wrong.)

Well they already did in a way -- AppleTV. Personally I think its a good product, just hard for the avg. person to really understand why they need it. I bought one for my parent's who love to stream their pictures to their TV. Nonetheless its a sales dud, but Apple is so brilliant rather than fold it up and waive the white flag they keep it on the back burner and call it a "hobby."

I can see it being re-introduced at some point, but I think its a good example Apple's aura -- when they have a product that no one wants no one cares and Apple is not damaged. The only Apple products people like to knock are the ones on the pedestal.

 

[wombat888]

If there are two miillion hardcore Apple fans, that should tell you something.

Though I do agree the buyers so far are Apple people and/or tech early adapters moreso than "regular people," what ever a regular person is.

 

[r0k]

Looks like someone needs to do a little research into what a real computer is.

Hah too true. You'd be surprised what a *computer* is.

Here's an early hp "computer"...

I treat my iPad like an iPad. If it was a computer (running windows) it might be out on the curb on big trash day.

 

[wombat888]

Not the computer debate again. A computer is a person or thing that computes. Defined a bit more narrowly (as a mechanical thing), it's an electronic machine with a processor and I/O system. Defined even more narrowly (based on what people mean when they say the word "computer"), it's a laptop, desktop or mainframe.

iPads fit the first two definitions but probably not the third, though it's in the eye of the beholder. Referring to an iPad as a computer, in a non-theoretical, non-academic way, is likely to confuse everyone involved.

 

[rdowns]

That is false. Apple announced it sold 300K units at launch including all WiFi preorders. Today's 1m units sold announcement does not include the 3G, so Apple has sold 700K units after launch. Presumably most of these people either played with a demo in-store or with a friend/family member/colleague's iPad before buying.

Incorrect. Read it again. Nothing about pre-ordered 3Gs.

Apple® today announced that it sold over 300,000 iPads in the US as of midnight Saturday, April 3. These sales included deliveries of pre-ordered iPads to customers, deliveries to channel partners and sales at Apple Retail Stores.

 

[firewood]

To bad it's not a real tablet computer, it's a media consumtion device with a few added abilities. Until it can do true parallel processing (not half-assed multi tasking), and has a true file system, it's really not a computer.

It can and it does. It probably has at least 3 ARM processor cores internally. And Apple's built-in apps multitask and use the unix file system just fine. You can see it all yourself on the debug console if you're a paid developer.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Incorrect. Read it again. Nothing about pre-ordered 3Gs.

Nothing about pre-ordered 3Gs because the 3Gs didn't go on sale until last Friday.