Sales of the iPad have almost hit fifty million in the three quarters of 2012, with the holiday season in full swing; we may see another twenty-to-thirty million iPads and iPad Minis sold. This number is immense and shows that Apple has more than one sustainable and successful market.
In fact, the iPad may be the most successful right now. Comparing iPad sales to iPhone, Apple have sold thirty million iPhones this year. This is still a great number, but does not come close to the fifty million iPads they have sold. With the iPad Mini now on sale, we suspect Apple will bolster their grip on the tablet market.
Tim Cook said that Apple had around 90% of all tablet shares, showing a graph of internet usage. The figure of tablet sales may be a tad lower, as Cook did say this was just “showing Apple incredible productivity”. With the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 the only tablets really selling now, apart from the iPad and iPad Mini, we can see why Apple have that 90%.
Next year could be the most successful year for the iPad and for Apple, as they apparently look to ship 100 million iPads. Analysts say that with the iPad Mini, Apple could reach new heights with its tablet business, with almost fifty million of the one hundred million tablets sold next year being iPad Minis.
Apple are trying hard to push into China and other developing markets, as well as keeping the fort locked down in the US and Europe. The iPhone may be losing shares in the mobile market, but considering five million were pre-ordered, it’s not as the phone is not wanted.
Until Android throw out some genuine competition and until Android developers start working on tablet apps, they do not stand a chance against Apple. The iPad and iPad Mini will dominate the tablet market, and we suspect that with a new retina iPad Mini, it will be quite the year for Apple.