Apple Projected To Sell 65 Million iPads This Year

Original predictions of new iPad sales have been increased as Apple quickly sold through their preorder stock. Analysts from Canaccord Genuity originally predicted Apple to sell 60 million of their popular tablet device this year. However, as excitement for the new iPad (simply named “iPad”) grows, the analysts have adjusted their estimates.
They now estimate Apple to sell 65.6 million iPads this year.
Since the original iPad was introduced and released 2 years ago, Apple has sold 55 million units of the device.
Apple´s CEO Tim Cook introduced the new iPad at a press release in San Francisco recently. Touting a new, high resolution “Retina” display, faster graphics processing and improved camera, the new iPad has millions of people ready to buy. Apple began to take pre-orders on March 7, 2012, the day it was announced. In that time, Apple has sold through its stock of preorders. Now, Apple´s website lists a wait time of 2-3 weeks before shipping the iPad.
Those interested in buying the new iPad in stores have only to wait until tomorrow, March 16 at 8am when Apple officially launches the device in the US as well as Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. iPad will ship to 25 more countries a week later on March 23, 2012.
The analysts are expecting record numbers this weekend as the iPad launches to millions of buyers. Apple has put a limit on buyers, allowing only 2 iPads per person in order to control inventory. Last year the iPad 2 sold out within days of its launch. Apple wants to sell as many as they can this weekend without turning people away.
So why the excitement for this new version of the iPad?
In addition to the higher resolution “Retina” display and faster graphics processing (thanks to the new A5X system-on-a-chip processor) the iPad will now be available with 4G LTE capabilities. This new generation of wireless technology boasts download speeds of around 20 mbps. The iPad will ship in its usual variations: black or white, wifi or 4G LTE enabled, and in sizes of 16, 32, and 64 gigabytes. American customers will have the option of choosing either AT&T or Verizon wireless for their LTE coverage. The basic wifi models start at $499 for the 16GB model. 4G enabled LTE iPads will start at $629.
Analysts also say that this weekend´s predicted numbers could cause Apple´s rivals to struggle to release competing products over the next few quarters. According to Reuters, Analysts T Michael Walkley and Matthew Ramsay of Canaccord Genuity said “While Samsung appears to have the most competitive Android tablet offering, we view Windows 8 as a greater longer-term threat to Apple´s dominant iPad share than Android tablets.”
Helping to keep Apple in the dominant position will be last year´s version of the iPad, the iPad 2. Apple has decided to keep the older model available for purchase for $100 less than the newer models.
In anticipation for the launch, Apple´s stock has risen about 2%. Stock prices for Apple closed at $589.75 on Wednesday evening.