“Apple Inc. will sell 21.9 million iPads in the [calendar] fourth-quarter holiday season, says an investment advisor and author who’s nailed almost all of his bullish predictions about Apple during its remarkable growth run of the past few years,” Bob Evans writes for Forbes.
Evans reports, “In a post on SeekingAlpa.com, Jason Schwarz writes, ‘With the era of the laptop coming to an end how should we extrapolate Apple’s recent quarter of 9.25 million iPads into the holiday quarter? It’s logical to assume that the iPad will mirror the growth that the iPhone experienced in 2010 as it grew from 8.4 million units sold in Q2 to 16.2 million in Q4, 92% growth. We also take into consideration the 183% year over year growth that the iPad experienced in its most recent quarter to come up with a forecast of 21.9 million iPads to be sold in this year’s holiday quarter.'”
Advertisement: Limited Time: Students, Parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.
Evans writes, “But really: 22 million iPads purchased in just three months? Is that feasible? Is it possible? I think it is.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Conservative estimate.
Can their supply chain build that many?
That is the question.
Manufacturing abilities is always the limit.
Otherwise, the figure would not be impossible, considering Apple now sells about 1 million iPads per week, or even more — what makes in about 12 million units in Q3.
If to consider iPad as holiday product, such as iPod, then it is easy to guess that 22 million in terms of demand is not impossible. Though less likely, since iPods are dramatically cheaper than $499.
More conservative estimation for iPad sales considering the price and manufacturing is possibly from 15 to 18 million range for Q4.
Apple won’t sell that many. I’ll eat my right nut if the prediction comes true.
And don’t forget, the iPad will be a stand alone device come the holiday quarter. It will become the first “computer” for many people from here on out. It will sell like crazy.
Apple is stock piling right now – They will have the goods and their supply chain will be full of iPads and MacAirs ……
Apple has access to assembly facilities in China and Taiwan that are set up to assemble about 70-75 million iPad2s per year, or about 6 million per month.
Apple pre-buys the parts from suppliers and have them shipped to assemblers.