“First week sales of Apple’s new shockingly thin iPod nano have fallen short of expectations, with most Apple retail stores having sold only one-fourth of their initial inventory of the players, AppleInsider has learned. A couple of Apple retail stores in California, which last week received over 1400 iPod nanos, said they sold only a couple of hundred units by Saturday. This despite favorable reviews from both analysts and the media,” AppleInsider reports.
Black iPod nano units “‘are outselling the white ones by a great deal,’ Shaw Wu, an analyst for American Technology Research, wrote in a research note released to clients on Tuesday. ‘5 to 1 and in some cases as high as 8 to 1.’ Coincidentally, these sales ratios completely contrast Apple’s initial production ratios of the nano, which reports suggest were 1 black nano for every 5 to 8 white nanos,” AppleInsider reports.
Full article here.
“Mr. Wu wrote, cautioning ‘iPod nano has only started shipping since Sept. 7, and thus it may be difficult to draw a trend with only six days of data,'” The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.
Full article here.
[UPDATED 12:56pm ET: Added quote from Wu via Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.]
Advertisement: Apple iPod nano. 1,000 songs. Impossibly small. From $199. Free shipping.
As Apple Store affiliates, MacDailyNews and iPodDailyNews, without revealing actual figures, can report that the iPod nano is, by far, the most successful product we’ve ever featured on our websites in terms of units sold based on five days of sales (9/8-9/12). Perhaps people were/are unsure of retail availability and are buying online during the first week? To us, reports based on less than a week of data seem a bit premature and specious to determine the extent of iPod nano’s success. Everything we see from iPod nano at this extremely early date screams “grand slam” to us.
We have no way of telling whether black or white iPod nano units are selling better via our websites, but anecdotal information we’ve heard from other sources, suggests that black is easily the most popular iPod nano color.
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Not surprised. I spend practically a Nano worth of gas a month now. I need to wait. Still using my 2nd gen and my shuffle.
OMG — Apple’s going out of business … OMFG !!!
wow…first week numbers already. And a whole DAY BEFORE the first week sales are over!!!!
these analysts are amazing. Give it a while…not everyone watches Apple as closely as we do. Let the commercials sink in.
This “research note” is crap….typical for this Wu guy.
I visited 2 Apple stores and they were selling Nano’s like crazy. Instead of being impressed that Apple has so much supply already at the sales points (unlike the few hundred pieces it had for the shuffle and mini launches) he is already suggesting price discounts.
My advice to everyone…do your own research. These “analysts” are hacks, unlike the old days when they actually had access to real insight.
Once again they will surprised (disappointed) by record sales.
Maybe it’s because, despite the Nano’s amazing design, its price point targets it at Mac fanatics/early adopters, most of whom probably already have iPods.
I just bought a 20GB iPod three months ago. I’d love a Nano, but just can’t justify it.
1) I got mine at Apple Store in King of Prussia on Saturday. They had been getting hammered with people coming in for them.
2) They had a TON of white in both sizes and had already sold out of black 4 GB ones. So I bought a black 2 GB.
3) The report may be accurate as to the stores themselves–the store I went to was certainly overstocked with white players and it is not hard to imagine that people wanting 4 GB blacks either went home and ordered them online, or figured they pick them up next time.
It takes time for word to spread. What, they expected to exhaust their entire inventory in a week?
Hope they don’t end up with a bunch of unsold white ones …
I guess black is the new white…
I saw the same thing as GS.
And just what is “American Technology Research” anyway ? A home for Wall Street flunkies ?
The drop in capacity from the mini may turn a few people off – especially those that already own minis and don’t see the size difference as an adequate reason to become iPod adders, given the price. On the other hand, there may actually be a boost in final mini sales for the same reason – get more capacity while you still can.
btw, i would have called it the ‘micro’ and saved ‘nano’ for the next size drop. will the next one have to be called the iPod angstrom?
It’s the PRICE, stupid!
grrrilla, I heard the next size bump is going to be called the iTtiybitty
Hard to believe someone gets paid for writing this crap…
Had the store received less and sold out they’d say Apple was in trouble because they couldn’t meet demand.
Black is the new white but I’m fine with my 3g 30gb iPod. But, if they introduced an orange iPod nano my credit card would be out quickly.
I can’t believe the statement re: Apple’s production ratio of “1 black nano for every 5 to 8 white nanos.” People have been clamoring for black iPods ever since Apple made that backlit iPod ad (that made the white iPod appear black to many.) I think that this a lot of folks purchased the U2 iPod for this reason (and not for their love of U2 per se.) This is even more true since Apple adjusted the pricing (making the 20G iPod U2 only $20 more than the regular 20G iPod.)
There’s a difference between selling a whole lot and selling out. Obviously, Apple has learned from past mistakes and are also using different technology (flash vs hd) that can be manufactured more quickly. Therefore, they have plenty of stock.
Jeez, people complain when they run out of stock, and now people complain when they DON’T run out of stock. Get a clue.
Another possible reeason sales may be a little slow:
people donating for Katrina relief ??? I know I did and will need to wait a bit b4 buying one
Why is everyone so quick to dismiss the numbers?
Had the numbers reenforced that people what (A hot selling iPod) they would be “irrefutable”. I want the nano to sell well too, but I am realistic…
Apple hasn’t even gotten the word out. A few commercials sure, but given there was barely a whisper of this new product, we are working on just days of market knowledge.
Further, because of past shortages of iPods in the retail channels on introduction, there is little doubt consumers are ordering on-line.
Lastly (the hard truth) is that Apple missed on the capacity issue. I have a 4GB 1st Gen iPod mini. I don’t want to replace it with the same capactiy player. I was actually just about to purchased the 6GB mini as a replacement when the nano killed it off so now I am kinda backing off a purchase. I really want 6GB – it feels like a good size. 8GB or 10GB would be even better but I would probably pull the trigger at 6GB. The recent article about the nano asking user’s to pay a $50 premium for it’s size/battery life/color screen is acurate. I have no doubt I will choose a nano to replae my mini, but I won’t choose it until there is a larger capactiy available to force the upgrade.
MDN word: Nuclear
Analysts predictions of failure:
Original iPod
iPod mini
iPod shuffle
Analysts predictions of a hit:
iPod nano
(I’m scared too)
Apple are probably aiming to stay on the seeling curve that the mini had not create a totally new one.
remember that the nano simply replaces the mini – if sales are that same as the mini was previous to the announcement then all is well.
the black nano shows more fingerprints and smudges on its face than the white nano.
Apple should include a pair of cotton gloves (like the ones that Mike Bolt wears while handling the Stanley Cup) in the custom nano bag with every black nano.
Considering you couldn’t buy a nano from any of the typical consumer electronics outlets yet (as of last Friday, only the Apple Store had them in stock) and only the geeks were aware of its release before the commercials started running in primetime, the ‘analysts’ should withold judgement on sales figures until the end of the first month if they’re to be taken seriously.
Maybe Apple did overproduce the nano. This is a good thing. That means there won’t be a shortage this Christmas. Another reason is that Apple never seems to have enough product after an announcement and customers are waiting to see if the product will be in the store in 3-4 weeks.
Didi anyone read the “Take?”
The iPod nano is, by far, the most successful product we’ve ever featured on our websites in terms of units sold based on five days of sales (9/8-9/12).
It is too early to know. Wu and AppleInsider should be ashamed.
iPod nano sales slow?
Apples ‘slow sales’ are still more than the competitors combined
Funny, I’ve seen the polar opposite at the stores that I’ve visited. Both Apple Stores plus the Fry’s store I have been to were selling many more white than black nanos. The white were completely sold out at one store and the 4GB white ones were sold out at another. The black was plentiful in both 2GB & 4GB models at all 3 locations. However, the nanos in general were selling quite briskly at all the stores I visited regardless of what color was being purchased. I don’t think this anal-yst did enough research as usual…