Apple tracking for 12 million iPad sales this quarter
updated 07:20 am EDT, Tue March 20, 2012
Apple iPad Q1 sales tracking well, could top 12m
UBS analyst Maynard Um believes that Apple is on track to record new iPad sales in the order of 12 million units. The estimate follows Apple’s official announcement yesterday that it had sold a record 3 million new iPads in its first three days on sale. Um also believes that it is possible that Apple could even exceed 12 million sales after initial sales of 750,000 units per day as it expands to include releases in 24 more countries this Friday.
‘Apple has sold 750,000 new iPads per day since launch on Friday,’ Um said in a note to clients. ‘If there are no supply shortages, this would imply a run rate of ~12 million new iPads between launch and the end of the quarter. We continue to believe there could be upside to our 12 million estimate for the quarter.’
Um’s estimates also do not factor in potential sales of Apple’s newly price reduced iPad 2 model, which continues to be sold in 16GB Wi-Fi and 3G versions starting from a more competitive $399. Given that Apple still managed to shift over 15 million iPads in during the holiday quarter although many knew an updated iPad was around the corner, Um’s view that Apple could sell 12 million iPads before the quarter is out (including ongoing sales of iPad 2s leading up to the March 16 launch) could well be conservative. [via All Things D]
