Shane Cole
Last fall's introduction of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display may have helped sales of Apple's tablets achieve double-digit year-over-year gains, according to pre-earnings expectations from Wall Street.
A survey of 20 buy-side investors conducted by Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster last week indicates consensus sales estimates of 24 million to 25 million units. If accurate, that would mean a 10 percent bump in sales from the 22.9 million units Apple sold in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.
Munster's consensus numbers are mirrored by those of analysts recently polled by Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt.
Sales may have been even higher if not for severely constrained supplies of the new Retina display-equipped iPad mini, which faced shortages lasting well into December. Combined with the late street date of the iPad Air — Â which did not hit shelves until Nov. 1 — Â Apple's tablet lineup was not at full strength until the quarter was nearly over.
Market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reported on Monday that while the iPad Air has taken an overwhelming share of the market for Apple's full-sized iPads, the previous-generation iPad mini continued to outsell its newer counterpart 25 percent to 16 percent. The disparity could be attributed to the high-resolution model's supply issues, or it may reflect renewed consumer interest in the older variant after its price was cut to $299.
CIRP also noted that the iPad's average sale price is expected to rise, reversing a trend that has seen the slate's ASP decline each quarter since 2011.
Apple will unveil their first quarter financials next Monday, Jan. 27. AppleInsider will have full, live coverage.
Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Oliver Haslam
William Gallagher
24 Comments
ANALysts. Always wrong.
lets hope that this time it will be recording quarter also in eyes of Wall Street and not like year ago, when it was also recording quarter but everyone knows what happened! :)
im little bit worry after these "recording quarter" articles, maybe expectations are too high.
I know how some like to talk about why marketshare doesn't matter, but it does. If Apple's tablet sales did indeed go up by 10%, but the markets overall sales were up 30% (that's just a guess), then Apple's marketshare would have taken a large hit again. I remember how guys here would mention that Apple's marketshare was 90%, then 80%, then 70%, etc. Now those same people say it doesn't matter. It may not matter much if most of those Android sales are $100, or less, selling into markets without effective app stores, or can't effectively use apps, like some cheap Android phones. But if not, it's a concern.
Last year was the best quarter ever by any public traded company (by revenue). The stock tanked.
My bet? At least 30 million iPads, and the stop will fall 10%, blow 500$. Why? People will start waring thermostats on their wrists. That's why.
I know how some like to talk about why marketshare doesn't matter, but it does. If Apple's tablet sales did indeed go up by 10%, but the markets overall sales were up 30% (that's just a guess), then Apple's marketshare would have taken a large hit again.
I remember how guys here would mention that Apple's marketshare was 90%, then 80%, then 70%, etc. Now those same people say it doesn't matter. It may not matter much if most of those Android sales are $100, or less, selling into markets without effective app stores, or can't effectively use apps, like some cheap Android phones.
But if not, it's a concern.
Of course it is.
Everyone single company on the PC/Smartphone/tablet/Auto/TV/home appliances is going with Android. Apple is fighting against every single one of them. It's hard, and they will succeed, but it won't go past 20% on any of those markets once they saturate (or close). In the process, it will be even lower (Android explosive growth, just like smartphones).
I doubt Apple even has 1% Market share in Europe (if you do not count UK and some nordic countries).
Apple would benefit immensely if Microsoft or Blackberry got their act together, no? Instead of being the strongest ecosystem on 15 to 20% of devices Vs 80 to 85% Android (making that ecosystem almost as strong), it would be iOS (20%) Vs Android 40% Vs Windows 30% Vs others.
Apple would have the overwhelming power on that situation.