Analysts : Apple (AAPL) Could Sell 100M iPhones and 48M iPads Next Year

AAPL is on the upward move again it is currently nudging gently at the $310 per share barrier. And it’s probably off the back of very positive predictions from market analysts Wedge Partners, who have had mixed results with predictions in the past.

If these predictions come true then Apple’s sales will increase 100 percent year over year in 2011 for the iPhone alone.

But other analysts are more cautious. So perhaps picking a middle ground between the figures published by Barron’s quoting Wedge Partner’s analysis, and those of Yair Reiner from Oppenheimer, is a wise choice if you are looking to gauge what will happen in business in 2011. Those more conservative figures place Apple’s sales at about half of that quoted by Barron’s. Even so those figures are still impressive.

A lot will depend on what Android handsets, and tablets hit the market in the coming months. But if the early mixed, and far from stellar, reviews of toys like the Samsung Galaxy Tab are anything to go by, Apple are not really facing an onslaught of competition in the next few months, at least.

The sales figures for 2010 for Apple as it stands right now are sales of just under 40 Million iPhones, which in itself is almost a 100% year on year increase from last year. And sales of 7.4 Million iPads, which was just short of what analysts hoped for, and a way off the 45 – 48 Million being predicted by the most optimistic figures for next year.

Many believe that the iPad 2 will spur even more increased sales for Apple, and with them currently holding 95% of the tablet market they can only really lose market share, but perhaps hope to increase sales overall as the young market for tablets grows globally.

This is why I opined over the weekend that it is crucial for Apple to hit the market earlier than most people might expect with an iPad feature update. Particularly one with more memory and at least one camera.

Anther factor that is spurring Apple’s stellar growth right now is the halo effect that the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad have had on the Macintosh. And with the recent re-launch of the MacBook Air we are starting to see an evolution of where laptops and mobile devices are going in the future. And how the lines between those devices are going to blur in the future.

The only way is up for Apple right now but they have to be careful that they don’t get complacent in 2011.

Two things are sure for 2011. We can expect more great toys from the world’s tech giant in 2011. The iPad 2 and the iPhone 5 being the most eagerly awaited. And other companies in competing market places are still very decidedly playing catch up.

Do you see Apple consolidating its position next year, or starting to get caught by its competitors? Have your say in the comments..

[via AppleInsider]

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