“Apple makes $500m (£319m) each quarter from its iPad covers,” Carly Page reports for The Inquirer.
“That’s according to Richard Kramer, managing director of Arete Research,” Page reports. “Speaking at the Open Mobile Summit in London, Kramer said, ‘Apple is one of the first manufacturers to move its focus away from mobile hardware, as seen with the iPad Smart Cover.'”
Page reports, “‘The majority of iPad users own one of these flexible accessories, which brings Apple in a $500m fortune each quarter,’ he added.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
ZooGue’s Case Genius: The best case for Apple’s new iPad – March 16, 2012
Apple sues Samsung over patented iPad Smart Cover, iPhone case designs – December 20, 2011
Apple updates iPad 2 Smart Covers with new color choices – October 24, 2011
Introducing Apple’s revolutionary iPad Smart Cover for iPad 2 (with video) – March 2, 2011
Yeah well the problem is I went to an Apple Store to buy an Incase case for my new iPad (Target carries them) and the only case Apple stocks is their own. So when new owners are presented with one choice they have a tendency to buy that one for the immediate satisfaction. Part of this is the emphasis Apple Stores are now playing downsizing the stock of items they carry on shelves to competitors disadvantage.
If Apple is stocking fewer after-market accessories, this gives competitors an advantage, not a disadvantage.
Apple does charge way too much for their smart cover; but this, too, helps makers of competing products. If iPad buyers are too eager for immediate satisfaction to shop around for the kind of cover they actually want, that’s their fault, not Apple’s. When I bought my iPad, I went looking for a case at the Apple Store; and when I saw that they only had the over-priced smart cover, I asked them where to go. They pointed me to a nearby shop that had exactly what I wanted.
This is my setup : iPad3+Apple Smart Cover +iSkin Solo
Smart with CoverLock. For transport, I put it in Hard
Candy’s Bubble Sleeve (it holds both of my iPads!) and
Tom Bihn’s SUper Ego messenger bag. Protection to
the max. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Say Apple sells 100,000 Mac Pros per quarter at $3,000 average selling price. This means iPad covers outsell Mac Pros.
Is it any wonder the Mac Pro is in the doghouse.
Bad Logic. Really, no logic at all. 😉
Don’t like ’em, don’t use ’em, don’t understand the success. No protection for back or grip improvements. I would NEVER, set my unprotected iPad on anything that could scratch it!
I agree. I don’t understand the popularity of that cover.
They likely will not sell many seconds to the same person.
The iPad smart cover, while neat from a design perspective, is fairly crappy from a functionality standpoint. Easily detached, collects dirt, doesn’t offer much protection.
It is too bad that APple chooses not to carry a broader selection in their stores. Sad that I have to make a trip to a big box store to find variety and value.
To each their own. I am on my second iPad, using the smart cover. I love them. Put a Zagg dry skin on both sides, and you have all the protection you need. When I buy them for others, they love them. Could be improved in several ways, but for some of us, they are spot on.
Why can’t they spell iPad correctly? I know that British spelling and other world spellings are different, but to diliberately mispell a name shows pure ignorance!
Why can’t you read correctly? Spelling is perfect but capitalisation is not…Ipad >> iPad. Right?
Given its The Inquirer we should assume its deliberate.
I bought the black leather cover when I got my iPad 2. But, I didn’t feel it protected the iPad very well and my son (8 yrs) kept taking it off. I ended getting a leather one that fully covered the iPad. It isn’t as pretty, but it gives a lot more protection and isn’t as easy to remove.
Amazing, considering the vast array of covers and cases available.
I actually like my smart cover. I love Ghost Armor films though. It protect against scratches (especially the back), resists fingerprints, and doesn’t change the feel to much… feels pretty much like glass: no tack, etc. I did drop my iPad 2 once, and although I came out unscathed, it did convince me to get a silicone/ hard-rubberlike case for the back. I still prefer it without it, but the Smart Cover has cool- and wow-factor to people, and that is before they even see what goes on inside!
i bought two for our new iPads, but neither of us liked them – came off too easily – and we have since bought one each of two other types.
Apple has so many revenue streams that aren’t publicly quantified or obvious and that’s precisely why none of the anal-ists can value it properly.
…Get Applcare.
Apple has so many revenue streams that aren’t publicly quantified or obvious and that’s precisely why none of the anal-ists can value it properly.
…Get AppleCare.
Not at all smart, especially if you want to use the back camera. I actually dropped my iPad when cover and device separated. If you ever try this, remove the cover before using the camera! Why did they not make a hole in the cover for the camera? Probably because it would not look neat.
You’re supposed to roll the cover into a cylindrical shape – tucking it out of the way of the camera lens. The projecting fold is supposed to form a handheld grip lengthwise to help you hold your iPad steady when taking photos.
Or fold the cover in HALF and it can be held neatly and not flopping around while also out of the way of the camera. This is how my cover is configured most of the time I’m using the iPad, rolled up much of the rest of the time, and detached on rare occasions.
I live in Canada but I see many different cover options in the Apple stores I visit.
$500 million from iPad covers alone? Combined with iPhone cases and iPod cases they are probably making over a billion. They can overprice those cases and they still sell those things like crazy.