Amazon Kindle Fire takes #2 tablet spot after shipping 3.9 million units
Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals" in the final quarter of 2012, with expected shipments reaching 3.9 million units, compared to an estimated 18.6 million iPad sales.
A report by IHS projects that Amazon's Kindle Fire shipments will take a 13.8 percent share of all tablets sold in the fourth quarter, overshadowing Samsung's 4.8 percent share, Barnes & Noble's 4.7 percent cut, and HTC's 1.3 percent share among tablet sales.
All other tablet makers combined will amount to 4.6 percent, leaving Apple an estimated 65.6% share with the iPad. IHS previously expected 60 million tablets to ship in 2011, but has bumped up its forecast to 64.7 million units.
"At a rock bottom price of $199?which is less than the $201.70 it now costs to make the device?the Kindle Fire has created chaos in the Android tablet market,? wrote IHS' Rhoda Alexander.
?Most other Android tablet makers must earn a profit based on hardware sales alone. In contrast, Amazon plans to use the Kindle Fire to drive sales of physical goods that comprise the majority of the company?s business. As long as this strategy is successful, the company can afford to take a loss on the hardware?while its Android competitors cannot.?
The report speculates that Apple may respond to the Kindle Fire's holiday sales by introducing a lower priced iPad 2 alongside a new iPad 3, which is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2012 as the iPad turns two.
Apple released the iPad in April 2010, selling 3.27 million devices in the first 80 days. During its first holiday quarter, Apple shipped 7.33 million units.
The previous runner up tablet for 2011 had been HP's ill-fated TouchPad, which beat every other tablet hopeful (including RIM's PlayBook and Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets from Motorola and Samsung) with sales of 17 percent of the 1.3 million "non iPad tablets" shipped by Apple's competitors in the first ten months of the year. HP's tablet was on sale for just 48 days.
A report by IHS projects that Amazon's Kindle Fire shipments will take a 13.8 percent share of all tablets sold in the fourth quarter, overshadowing Samsung's 4.8 percent share, Barnes & Noble's 4.7 percent cut, and HTC's 1.3 percent share among tablet sales.
All other tablet makers combined will amount to 4.6 percent, leaving Apple an estimated 65.6% share with the iPad. IHS previously expected 60 million tablets to ship in 2011, but has bumped up its forecast to 64.7 million units.
"At a rock bottom price of $199?which is less than the $201.70 it now costs to make the device?the Kindle Fire has created chaos in the Android tablet market,? wrote IHS' Rhoda Alexander.
?Most other Android tablet makers must earn a profit based on hardware sales alone. In contrast, Amazon plans to use the Kindle Fire to drive sales of physical goods that comprise the majority of the company?s business. As long as this strategy is successful, the company can afford to take a loss on the hardware?while its Android competitors cannot.?
The report speculates that Apple may respond to the Kindle Fire's holiday sales by introducing a lower priced iPad 2 alongside a new iPad 3, which is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2012 as the iPad turns two.
Apple released the iPad in April 2010, selling 3.27 million devices in the first 80 days. During its first holiday quarter, Apple shipped 7.33 million units.
The previous runner up tablet for 2011 had been HP's ill-fated TouchPad, which beat every other tablet hopeful (including RIM's PlayBook and Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets from Motorola and Samsung) with sales of 17 percent of the 1.3 million "non iPad tablets" shipped by Apple's competitors in the first ten months of the year. HP's tablet was on sale for just 48 days.
Comments
I'd rather have a kindle and $200-$300 cash in my pocket over any other crappy android tablet. Good for them.
I'd rather not have a Kindle Fire and have the extra $200 cash in my pocket.
I don't care how cheap it is, I have standards, and the Fire just doesn't cut it for a whole variety of reasons.
And don't get me started on the shipped versus sold numbers.....
End rant
I'd rather have not have a Kindle Fire and have the extra $200 cash in my pocket.
I don't care how cheap it is, I have standards, and the Fire just doesn't cut it for a whole variety of reasons.
Re-read my post. I didn't say I'd buy one.
Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals" in the final quarter of 2012, with expected shipments reaching 3.9 million units, compared to an estimated 18.6 million iPad sales.
A report by IHS projects that Amazon's Kindle Fire shipments will take a 13.8 percent share of all tablets sold in the fourth quarter, overshadowing Samsung's 4.8 percent share, Barnes & Noble's 4.7 percent cut, and HTC's 1.3 percent share among tablet sales.
Nice that they have a crystal ball to be able to make the statements: 'expected to surpass', 'expect to ship so many units', and 'project taking a certain market share percentage'.
Might be a nice device, but it's still NO iPad, doesn't do the things an iPad can, doesn't run the Apps an iPad can, and isn't designed to do what an iPad does. Probably best not to compare it to an iPad. Did someone overlook doing an A-B comparison between the Nook and Fire?
Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals"
I just love that with tablets the race is in the non-iPad category!
Apple has them so swamped that everybody is racing to be 2nd (and at less than 5% of the market if I read this correctly).
I'm still a Nook fan anyways. Such a great e/tablet.
3.9 million is way more than I thought. TAKE THAT HP TOUCHPAD!
I just love that with tablets the race is in the non-iPad category!
Apple has them so swamped that everybody is racing to be 2nd (and at less than 5% of the market if I read this correctly).
Yes, with the iPad Apple has actually spearheaded not one, but two markets: iPads and non-iPads.
Kindle Fire 2nd place among toys to buy for 5 year old.
I wouldn't even give one to a five year old kid, if I had a kid. Most five year olds are born with ten fingers, and the Kindle Fire is so limited in it's scope that you can only use two of them, and even then it doesn't work too good.
Especially for kids, the iPad is a far superior educational and recreational tool. If you gave an iPad and a Kindle Fire to 100 random five year olds to test out for 2 minutes, I bet that 99% of them would choose the iPad. The one kid who chooses the Kindle Fire is the kid that will grow up to be a serial killer, as there is apparently something wired wrong in their brain.
What kind of parent doesn't have $500 to invest in their kids future?
Nice that they have a crystal ball to be able to make the statements: 'expected to surpass', 'expect to ship so many units', and 'project taking a certain market share percentage'.
Might be a nice device, but it's still NO iPad, doesn't do the things an iPad can, doesn't run the Apps an iPad can, and isn't designed to do what an iPad does. Probably best not to compare it to an iPad. Did someone overlook doing an A-B comparison between the Nook and Fire?
Everyone makes projections about future sales, even Apple. Some of it is based on financial trends, some of it is based on voodoo. What we do know is the Kindle Fire is definitely generating more interest in tablets than any other non-iPad device to date. Whether or not that translates into sales, and more importantly, services is a whole other story.
No, it's not an iPad. It also isn't trying to be. It's trying to be a focused portal to Amazon's digital services at a price that's less than half the price of the *cheapest* iPad. And you know, it works. It has found a niche that allows it to coexist nicely in an iPad world. The Kindle Fire doesn't need to "beat" the iPad in sales in order to succeed. If users enjoy it and it helps to increase Amazon's bottom line in the services it provides, then it's done it's job.
I'm a happy Kindle Fire owner, mainly because I rarely use tablets anyway and don't see a need for one right now. At $199, I'm happy to have a device that's as brilliant as it already is, while not feeling bad about spending a lot of money on a product I use only a few times a week. I would have felt regret buying the iPad. The Kindle Fire, not so much.
Everyone makes projections about future sales, even Apple. Some of it is based on financial trends, some of it is based on voodoo. What we do know is the Kindle Fire is definitely generating more interest in tablets than any other non-iPad device to date. Whether or not that translates into sales, and more importantly, services is a whole other story.
No, it's not an iPad. It also isn't trying to be. It's trying to be a focused portal to Amazon's digital services at a price that's less than half the price of the *cheapest* iPad. And you know, it works. It has found a niche that allows it to coexist nicely in an iPad world. The Kindle Fire doesn't need to "beat" the iPad in sales in order to succeed. If users enjoy it and it helps to increase Amazon's bottom line in the services it provides, then it's done it's job.
I'm a happy Kindle Fire owner, mainly because I rarely use tablets anyway and don't see a need for one right now. At $199, I'm happy to have a device that's as brilliant as it already is, while not feeling bad about spending a lot of money on a product I use only a few times a week. I would have felt regret buying the iPad. The Kindle Fire, not so much.
$199. 3DS/PS3.. I can't justify a Kindle right now.......
I wouldn't even give one to a five year old kid, if I had a kid. Most five year olds are born with ten fingers, and the Kindle Fire is so limited in it's scope that you can only use two of them, and even then it doesn't work too good.
Especially for kids, the iPad is a far superior educational and recreational tool. If you gave an iPad and a Kindle Fire to 100 random five year olds to test out for 2 minutes, I bet that 99% of them would choose the iPad. The one kid who chooses the Kindle Fire is the kid that will grow up to be a serial killer, as there is apparently something wired wrong in their brain.
What kind of parent doesn't have $500 to invest in their kids future?
You heard it here first, folks. If you don't buy your kid an iPad, you honestly don't love them. ::troll face::.
Let me ask you something. How often do you seriously, and I mean seriously, need to tap all ten fingers on the screen of your iPad at the same time. I'm honestly curious if you've managed to find both an app and a use-case for such a thing, because as far as I can tell most people only use two, and that's for pinching and zooming. Yes, I know there's 3 and 4 finger multitasking gestures, but do you really thing most users are using them or are even aware they exist?
I've owned 3 generations of iPhones and a Droid X android phone. I've gotten by just fine on two fingers, thank you very much
2) It's also expected they would release numbers when they were impressive.
3) It's definitely funny that the Kindle Fire OS is a closed fork of Android which hinders Android and other non-iOS tablets making headway.
4) Talked someone out of buying a few Fires or the holiday. Instead convinced them to buy an iPad 2 and a couple Kindle Touches without Special Offers (aka: Ads). I think that was the right choice.
Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals" in the final quarter of 2012
So this is a projection for one year away?
"Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals" in the final quarter of 2012."
Everyone makes projections about future sales, even Apple. Some of it is based on financial trends, some of it is based on voodoo. What we do know is the Kindle Fire is definitely generating more interest in tablets than any other non-iPad device to date. Whether or not that translates into sales, and more importantly, services is a whole other story.
No, it's not an iPad. It also isn't trying to be. It's trying to be a focused portal to Amazon's digital services at a price that's less than half the price of the *cheapest* iPad. And you know, it works. It has found a niche that allows it to coexist nicely in an iPad world. The Kindle Fire doesn't need to "beat" the iPad in sales in order to succeed. If users enjoy it and it helps to increase Amazon's bottom line in the services it provides, then it's done it's job.
And yet, the opening sentence of the original article is as follows: Amazon is expected to "surpass all other iPad rivals" in the final quarter of 2012, with expected shipments reaching 3.9 million units, compared to an estimated 18.6 million iPad sales.
Surpassing all other iPad rivals would seem indicate the Kindle Fire is one of them, iPad rival that is.
Apple never would have done this under Jobs, of course, but I wish they'd have licensed a version of iOS customized just for Amazon. That would have given them the lion's share of the high AND low ends of the market, and the beauty part is that Apple could always end the relationship somewhere down the road, when they were ready to take the low end, too. And Amazon wouldn't care, since all they want is to sell the content anyway!
Really would have been a huge win-win for both: Apple gets a big slice of the low end it can't handle right now (making it theirs to win back later), and Amazon gets to peddle the ONLY product running a (legally) cloned Apple OS.