Apple's latest iPads.
(Credit:
Brooke Crothers/CNET)
The
iPad should ring up lots of holiday cheer for Apple, according to a forecast from analyst Sameer Singh.
An analyst with mergers and acquisitions consulting group Finvista Advisors, Singh put together his projections for iPad shipments based on some historical cues.
The second and fourth quarters have traditionally been the strongest ones for the iPad, however, the fourth quarter has been the champ. That's not surprising since Apple has unveiled each year's new iPad in the second quarter. But holiday shoppers provide a jolt to the fourth quarter.
This year, the company upset its usual apple cart by launching two new iPads in the fourth quarter. The dual unveiling has triggered concerns that the
iPad Mini may be cannibalizing sales from the iPad 4. And several analysts do believe the 7-inch tablet is stealing business from its bigger brother.
Singh takes that likelihood into account, projecting that total iPad shipments could have hit 22.7 million had the iPad Mini never shown up.
The Mini has run into its own trouble in the form of limited supply. The smaller
tablet currently shows a ship time of two weeks via Apple's online store, while the 4th-gen model is in stock and immediately available .
The analyst also pointed to reports claiming that production of the Mini has been stalled due to yield problems at AU Optronics, a new display panel supplier for Apple.
Yet despite these factors, Singh expects a robust holiday quarter for the iPad lineup.
Based on his data, the analyst believes Apple will ship between 24 and 26 millions iPads this quarter.
The iPad Mini will account for 6 to 7 million of those. All other models combined (the iPad 2, 3, and 4) will grab the remaining 18 to 19 million.
iPad shipments could hit 26 million this quarter, says analyst
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iPad shipments could hit 26 million this quarter, says analyst
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iPad shipments could hit 26 million this quarter, says analyst
