Apple projected to sell at least 1 million of new iPad on launch day
This Friday's iPad launch will be another blockbuster for Apple, with one new analysis projecting that the company will sell at least one million on the first day alone.
Analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said in a note to investors on Monday that he expects Apple will sell more than a million iPads on Friday when the new model hits shelves. That would be a positive for the company, which has likely seen iPad sales slow down after the holidays in anticipation of a new model.
Wall Street watchers generally expect Apple will sell about 10.1 million iPads in the current March quarter. Sales of one million in just one day would go a long way toward exceeding that projection for the three-month period.
"That said, even if iPad sales are less than 10 (million) in (the March quarter), we see it as a win-win given investors will attribute the miss to a slowdown ahead of the new iPad and start to anticipate a strong rebound in the June-12 quarter," Munster wrote.
Back in 2010, Apple sold more than 300,000 iPads on the first-generation product's launch day. Supply for the iPad 2 launch was very constrained, and Apple did not give a launch-day sales figure.
For the third-generation iPad launch, Munster drew a comparison to the iPhone 4 debut in 2010. He noted that since the launch of the first iPad, Apple has sold just over 55 million iPads, while the iPhone 4 debuted in 5 countries after Apple had sold over 50 million iPhones through the March 2010 quarter.
"The company took 600 (thousand) pre-orders in one day (6/5/10) before systems were overloaded and pre-orders were halted," Munster wrote. "Then on 6/24 retail sales began and by 6/26 (with 3 days of sales) the company had sold 1.7 (million) iPHone 4 units. Given the new iPad will be sold in 12 countries on 3/16, we are confident the company will sell over 1 (million) on launch day."
As of Monday, new iPad orders have an estimated shipping date of two to three weeks. Shipping dates began to slip last Friday, after the new iPad was available for preorder for less than two days.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Analyst Gene Munster
Say no more!
I wish
Wall Street finds themselves in chaos when the heads of every analyst in the industry suddenly exploded after Apple announced selling 20 million iPads on launch day
I wish
Well I'd bet that if they actually had that many on hand at launch they would sell them.
But I'm just another arm-chair analyst.
It does not matter what they do on day one. In 12 months, 60 million units is very likely. If they can manufacture more and expand distribution, I can see 80 million in 12 months.
One ipad for every man, women, and child!!!
I'm predicting more...more like 2 million over the entire weekend. Does that make me an analyst? Can you pay me now?
For the weekend I'm thinking that is low. The iPhone 4S topped 4 million the first weekend with sales in 7 countries. Granted, the iPhone is cheaper out the door and more of a necessity than the iPad but the iPad is going on sale in 10 countries and has no market competition. I think 2 million would be the low tend for the entire weekend. I'd like to say that 2.5 to 3 million seems more right but without having any info on the iPad 2 first day or weekend sales I won't commit to any guess work.
My SWAG for the pre-orders and launch weekend is 3 Million iPads.
"At least 1,000,000"? Pre-orders arriving on launch day are considered launch day sales with launch day as the 16th, no? Add in-store sales and the 1,000,000 seems pretty low to me.
But I'm just another arm-chair analyst.
Your posts always sound reasonable and well thought-out to me so if you're an arm-chair analysts then most here are beanbag chair analysts.
I don't know... just asking
"At least 1,000,000"? Pre-orders arriving on launch day are considered launch day sales with launch day as the 16th, no? Add in-store sales and the 1,000,000 seems pretty low to me.
But I'm just another arm-chair analyst.
Regardless of where you are sitting , it will all be based on how many they could make and ship. If they are constrained on the retina displays, it will limit the launch sales. If they've stacked up 4M in the warehouses/factories, then we're golden for a big stretch number.
Your posts always sound reasonable and well thought-out to me so if you're an arm-chair analysts then most here are beanbag chair analysts.
Like your latest sig... anything to do with the rear-facing camera?
One ipad for every man, women, and child!!!
Oooooh !! That would be 7 billion units. More like 0.0114 for every man, woman and child.
Like your latest sig... anything to do with the rear-facing camera?
I was thinking you said that but it was a tweet from Funny or Die.
lol, the 16th can't get here fast enough.
I was thinking you said that but it was a tweet from Funny or Die.
Maybe Tallest could submit this as a smiley -- a poopy, actually...
It would come in handy to denote the AI forum trollers that crept in, crapped and crept out
It is possible that they had as many as 4M ready for launch weekend. That would be astounding.