Katie Marsal
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs revealed last week that just over 120 million iOS devices have been shipped since the iPhone first launched in 2007. asymco took those numbers and subtracted the 59.6 million iPhones that were sold through June, and the 3.2 million iPad sales that were announced last quarter.
The site assumed that 8 million iPhones and 4 million iPads were sold in August and July, which would leave the remaining share of 45.2 million units to the iPod touch. Out of the 120 million iOS devices, that would represent 37.7 percent.
The site calculated in April that 41 percent of iOS units sold were the iPod touch, which shows that the introduction of the iPad, along with international expansion of the iPhone, has reduced the overall share of the device. However, the iPod touch in the last year has also become the best-selling iPod in the company's lineup, Jobs revealed last week.
Last week, Jobs also made comments about the success of the iPod touch as a game playing device. He claimed that the hardware has more than a 50 percent market share for portable game players in both the U.S. and worldwide.
"It's become the number one portable game player in the world," Jobs said. "It's amazing. The iPod touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined. It's been amazing."
But as noted by Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, those figures have been called into question. Nintendo has sold 125 million of its Nintendo DS portable system, while Sony's PSP has shipped more than 62 million.
As for more recent sales, it is estimated that Nintendo sold 3.15 million of the DS last quarter, while Sony is said to have sold 1.2 million PSPs. Apple, however, does not reveal specific iPod touch sales, but last quarter the company sold a total of 9.41 million iPods.
Jobs' comments would suggest that of those 9.41 million iPods, Apple sold more than 4.35 million, or the total combined number of Nintendo DS and Sony PSP sales from last quarter. Analyst Gene Munster has estimated that Apple actually sold more than 6.8 million of the iPod touch last quarter.
Of course, iPod touch sales could go even higher after Apple last week introduced the biggest change to its portable media player yet. The new fourth-generation device includes the same Retina Display, A4 processor and gyroscope as the iPhone 4, and also adds a rear camera for picture taking, and a forward-facing camera for FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi.
Christine McKee
Sponsored Content
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
37 Comments
Of course, iPod touch sales could go even higher after Apple last week introduced the biggest change to its portable media player yet. The new fourth-generation device includes the same Retina Display, A4 processor and gyroscope as the iPhone 4, and also adds a rear camera for picture taking, and a forward-facing camera for FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi.
The new Touch looks great. But I was very surprised that they kept the old form factor. I expected the new one to look like a skinny iP4.
Anybody else surprised that Apple used the older styling instead of the cool new look?
The new Touch looks great. But I was very surprised that they kept the old form factor. I expected the new one to look like a skinny iP4.
Anybody else surprised that Apple used the older styling instead of the cool new look?
Yes, I was also surprised.
The new Touch looks great. But I was very surprised that they kept the old form factor. I expected the new one to look like a skinny iP4.
Anybody else surprised that Apple used the older styling instead of the cool new look?
As much as I like the new look of the iP4, I just think it's not quiet possible to make the new iPod touch so slim and light using the iP4 design. They had to make choices and they went for ultimate slimness.
Yes, I was also surprised.
I prefer the old design but also surprised they keep it considering one of the major advantage of the new design is you can place IP4 (both vertically & horizontally) on tabletop when facetiming.
The new Touch looks great. But I was very surprised that they kept the old form factor. I expected the new one to look like a skinny iP4.
Anybody else surprised that Apple used the older styling instead of the cool new look?
Perhaps the iPhone case is more expensive? Since the touch doesn't need the external cell phone antenna, and assuming the iPhone design with the glass front and back is more expensive, then it would make sense to stick with the older design.
But I would have like to see it adopt the new design, especially if it would have meant the touch would be a bit thicker and have room for a real camera instead of the one they put in with this revision (which is lame enough to prevent me from buying one and just wait for the next iteration or for a non-ATT iPhone).