What happened to the iPod product category? iPod sales were cannibalized first by the iPod touch and then iPhone slowly cannibalized sales of the iPod touch. Apple has never been afraid of cannibalising the sales of its existing products. Apple’s late CEO Steve Jobs famously said, “If you don’t cannibalize yourself, someone else will.”

Is iPad facing the same fate as of the iPod? Will the iPad soon not be a major source of revenue for Apple? To understand these aspects let’s get into the details.

From iPad Air to iPad Air 2 – Not a major product update

If we look at the current trend of iPad sales we see some interesting figures; in Q1 2014 Apple sold 26 million tablets compare that to Q1 2015 the company sold 21.4 million. In 2013 Apple launched the new iPad Air and in 2014 the company launched iPad Air 2. Apple sold more iPad Air’s than iPad Air 2 during their respective holiday quarters.

One of the most obvious reasons that explains the fall in sales figures for iPad Air 2 could be due to the new tablet not being a major update when compared to its predecessor. iPad Air was a radical redesign and added many enhancements however, the iPad Air 2 received a modest update with improvements being camera, barometer, new processor with motion co-processor, and Touch-ID. These updates were certainly not enough for users who already own an iPad Air to upgrade.

Was iPad just a fad? Before we jump onto any conclusions we need to delve further into the tablet category.

Different Upgrade Cycles

Unlike iPhones customers are not looking to upgrade their tablets every two-years. Our smartphones have to endure much more rigorous use each day compared to the tablets. So even if you still own an iPad that was introduced in 2012 it may still be working just fine. I have an iPad 2, Retina Display MacBook Pro and iPhone 5. Even though the second-gen iPad now lags in performance after iOS 8 update I still don’t see the need to upgrade. One possible reason could also be that after purchasing the latest MacBook Pro I have increasingly felt lesser need to work on my iPad.

Users’ tablet upgrade cycle will largely depend on what you use the tablet for. If it’s just for browsing, emails, and watching movies then you’re probably not going to upgrade every two years. If you’re into gaming and love to play games on your iPad then upgrading every two years makes sense as Apple upgrades the tablets with much more capable graphic chips and all AAA game titles are quickly updated to take advantage of new features.

Smartphones have also become an expression of showing off the latest gadget you bought as one obviously tends to use it more often no matter where you are. Tablets would probably never reach that level of attention. You don’t upgrade your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro every year just because a new model was made available.

If we look at iPhone’s upgrade cycle where the company introduces major improvements every two years and follows up with minor improvements the following year it still continues to outperform previous years sales figures. iPad category certainly won’t give the same results. There’s still a lot of scope for the tablet however, its adoption into new markets and industries is dependent on factors other than just faster processor and better camera.

More choice

Another reason attributing to the decline in sales could be the introduction of large screen iPhones. Users who would previously carry an iPad mini and an iPhone can now carry just an iPhone 6 Plus. Apple has been always accused of not offering much choice to its customers however, now its a different story.

There’s a 7.9 inch iPad mini, 9.7 inch iPad, 4 inch iPhone 5S, 4.7 inch iPhone 6, and 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. So, even though iPad sales in particular may have been affected, it could potentially be getting converted into iPhone sales.

With the new range of choices now available to customers it may take a couple of years for the sales figures to stabilise and adjust as customers make their choice for their preferred device for various computing purposes.

Content

iPhone had a three years lead on the iPad. When the iPad was first introduced it was not until the iPad 2 that we started seeing a large number of companies creating apps for their employees. iPad’s growth depends a lot on the ecosystem of apps other than games and productivity category. As web developers, companies, educational institutions develop more and more content optimised for the tablet we will witness continuous rise in tablet sales. Apple made a great move to tackle this issue by partnering with IBM to create enterprise ready apps.

So, should Apple be worried about the state of the iPad? No!  Apple should not be worried about lower iPad sales as it leads in market share and competitors aren’t making much progress in differentiating their products from the iPad. Microsoft is offering desktop computer experience on a tablet however, it doesn’t appear to be working favourably for the company. So, clearly if someone needs a tablet they are still looking at Apple.

The tablet market exploded after the introduction of the iPad. Apple’s competitors are waiting on Apple to take the next leap so that they can copy it.

As long as Apple continues to make improvements and make more capable tablets each year, this category is here to stay.

Photos Credit: Ben Miller, Lap Fung Chan

Here are 5 interesting facts to note from Apple’s earnings call.

1. Apple beat every company in the world with the highest quarterly net profit.

Apple’s Q1 2015 net profit was more than any other company in the world. In the top 20 list of highest quarterly net profit Apple is the only consumer electronics company to be featured on the list, others are Oil & Gas companies. Apple is featured 5 times on the same list.

2. Apple made a net profit of $8.3 million every hour this quarter.

When you were happy that you got a good 7 hour sleep on a certain day, Apple earned about $58.1 million in the same amount of time. That’s not bad for a company whose entire product lineup could fit on top of your dinning table.

3. The billionth iOS device Apple sold was a Space Gray 64GB iPhone 6 Plus.

During its earnings call Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced that on November 22nd the company shipped their 1 billionth iOS device. Apple has saved the billionth iOS device at the Apple HQ in Cupertino.

4. Apple Pay makes up more than $2 out of $3 spent on purchase using contactless payment in the U.S.

Within three months after launch of Apple Pay, the service now supports about 750 banks and credit unions. According to Apple WholeFoods saw a 400% increase in mobile payment since the introduction of Apple Pay.

5. iPad sales slumped this quarter.

While all major product categories grew in revenue and units sold, Apple’s iPad sales figures were lower than expected. In Q1 2015 Apple sold 21.4 million devices compared to 26 in the year ago quarter. Apple introduced the all-new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini however, this did not help Apple is posting record sales for the tablet.

Apple’s iPad mini is expected to be a big hit in the coming days and months. In a report from AppleInsider, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster mentioned that he believes Apple will sell about 1.5 million iPad mini in the first weekend of sales. The iPad mini goes on sale today, and will sell through the weekend, despite hurricane Sandy shutting down Apple’s Retail Stores on the East Coast for several days. During initial sales of the iPad mini, 4G LTE versions of the device will not be available but will go on sale later on this month.

Munster also mentioned that it is the “newness of the form factor for consumers” that will continue to the grow iPad sales, with 20-25% of the market accounted as smaller-sized tablets. Munster believes that people will realize the portability and the benefits of having the iPad experience in a smaller form factor. Prior to the release of the iPad mini, Munster also noted that five iPad minis would be equal to the cannibalization of one full sized iPad.

Gene Munster has a proven track record and has speculated on numerous other Apple products, including the original iPad, iPad 2 and iPhone. Munster is right in his speculation that the iPad will eventually come to lead the 7.9” tablet market, much of which is currently dominated by Android and Samsung devices.

Apple earlier today revealed its Black Friday sale prices for a wide range of products available from both the online store and retail stores. The price-cuts are being offered just for one day as Apple calls it the “special one-day Apple shopping event”.

You can save upto $101.00 on your purchase of iMac, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, this represents 10% cut on entry-level MacBook Air and the discount varies between 4% – 8% across the Mac product lineup for this holiday season. However, Mac Mini and Mac Pro are not a part of this one-day shopping event.

Analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities in a note to its clients reported by Computerworld, predicted that MacBook Air would be Apple’s most popular Mac product for this years holiday season.

iPad 2 saw a price cut ranging between $41 and $61, a discount between 8% – 9%, which is more than the Black Friday sale offer in 2010. The price of iPod touch was dropped between $21 – $41 and iPod nano by $11.

Apple extends its Black Friday special one-day sale to many Mac essentials and third-party accessories. Magic Trackpad, Wireless Keyboard, AirPort Express Base Station and Magic Mouse prices have been reduced by $11.

If you were looking for some speakers for your iPod touch or iPad then you’ll find some great discounts where the prices have been reduced between $51 – $101. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air is now available at $498 (was $599.95) and Philips DC390 Dual Dock Clock Radio with Remote for $98 (was $149.95).

Microsoft’s Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 Family Pack also saw a price cut of $21.95 and can be bought for $128.

This years Black Friday sale from Apple is similar to the one in 2010 and this is the best day to purchase the products that made it your holiday shopping list. The special pricing also comes with free shipping on all the items listed on Apple’s “One-Day Shopping Event” page.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will present its 2010 4th Quarter (Q4) results today at 2pm Pacific Time, and 5pm Eastern Time. The big question in the mind of many people is, will Apple beat a $20 Billion Quarter?

What we pretty much know already is that iPad sales will come in at around 5 Million units. And the iPhone will probably hit 12 million. This is despite manufacturing problems for Apple on both devices, and “Antenna-gate” plaguing the iPhone 4 launch.

We expect Mac sales to have held strong, despite some naysayers predicting that the iPad would ultimately cannibalize Mac sales, as well as affecting the rest of the market.

It is often repeated, but nonetheless no less true, that the iPad is on target to be the most adopted consumer electronic device in history. And that will ultimately make Apple the biggest manufacturer of “PCs”, if you include the iPad in that category, in the US. Using that grading system Apple is heading for 25% of the US PC market. If that arc continues on as it has so far this year, in a little over a year predictions place Apple as the world’s leading PC company.

Recent moves by companies in the IT and financial fields to integrate the iPad into the business environment is set only to give Apple an even greater lead over the rest of the PC industry in yet another fresh market place. Where Apple have momentum with brand name, a stable tested OS and great hardware that people love to use.

AAPL is currently at an all time high of around $315 per share. Expect that to drop back slightly tomorrow, if only because Apple has not even further exceeded greedy wall street trader’s hopes. Ultimately we are looking at a share price heading for $350 before years end and some say as high as $500 – $700 in coming years, if the global market gets back on track. In short : AAPL is still hugely undervalued.

Considering the coming crossover between iOS and OS X, and their respective mobile and desktop hardware platforms, we may hear some hints of that at the OS X 10.7 “sneak peek” reveal in a few days time. Let’s not forget Apple’s push to make its MacBook Air more of a netbook with iOS leanings, shaved down size and solid state drives, all at a “bargain price”, thanks in some part to a partnership with leading tablet rival and silicon / RAM / screen manufacturing partner Samsung.

What’s your take on Apple’s future, and its upcoming Quarterly Report? Have your say in the comments…

AppleInsider report that it has exceeded sales of the iPhone and even the original DVD player. Of course the global market is much bigger now than it was then but, this does tend to put a new perspective on just how successful the iPad has been for Apple.

Taking that into account, consider that the launch of the DVD player in 1997 had sales of just 350,000. The iPhone, some years later, took 74 days to sell its first million units. The iPad, even with constrained supplies, managed to sell its first million in just 28 days.

Colin McGranahan, retail analyst with Bernstein Research, is the source for these figures and he concludes that the iPad is the fastest selling non-phone electronic product ever.

Colin goes on to predict iPad sales worth more than $9 Billion in 2011, which makes Apple’s newest product only fourth in line in market size to that of the TV market, smart-phones and notebook computers which is quite incredible.

The iPad is expected to have sold 4.5 million more units in the financial quarter that Apple will report on this Monday, the 18th of October, at 2pm Pacific time.

Will the iPad be slowed down by the new tablets that Apple’s rivals are launching in the coming months? Or not? You can check out my opinion on that here. Then have your say in the comments…

We’ve been tracking the availably of Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad since its launch. The pre-order figures which were being reported clearly suggested that the new “giant iPod touch” will certainly be a success. The initial number of sales reported were highly impressive and certainly beyond even Apple’s expectations.

When the new device with larger touch screen running iOS was finally launched it was greeted with strong demand which resulted in one millionth iPad being sold in just 28 days. This soon caused major delays in shipping the iPad and the US stores were reported to be sold out as Apple was still struggling to meet the demand.

Today 9To5Mac are reporting that Apple has updated the estimated shipping time for iPad WiFi and WiFi + 3G which is now within 24 Hours. Apple had been working on its production capacity and it is possible that they have managed to address the issue. However, it cannot be ruled out that the demand might have reduced over the last one week.

It is interesting to note that Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets in May noted that iPad was selling at about 200,000 units per week in the US and Apple sold  around 110,000 Macs in the same period. He further added that if Apple could ramp up the production then it would probably sell more than 8.1 million iPads in 2010.

Apple’s CEO might talk about the updated sales statistics for the iPad during the September 1 “special” music event and we will have a live feed to keep you updated with the latest.

Asus told investors that this quarter it is only expecting to sell 1.4 million notebooks, compared to 1.5 million in the previous quarter. Whilst Apple’s sales seem to be increasing in all areas of their business that must be a bitter pill to swallow for Asus.

Asus CEO Jerry Shen, is refreshingly upfront about the iPad being the cause of a drop in demand for their notebooks.

What will be interesting to observe is whether Apple’s predicted 85% share of the tablet market will decline as the likes of RIM, HP and Google start shipping their tablets. Or if Apple’s share will hold steady, or even grow, as it did when it launched iTunes and the original iPod what seems like a century ago now. For a long time people were claiming that it was only a matter of time before rival MP3 players from the likes of Sony (who own the iconic brandname ‘Walkman’) would start to eat into Apple’s market share. It hasn’t happened yet though. Part of the reason is that Apple are very good at tying up their products with a great user experience, and the all important content to go with them.

I think that the other problem that other manufacturers face is that the public buying iPads doesn’t see them as “tablet computers”. Which is the way that the computer industry sees them. Where as Apple’s customers by and large see iPads as “Apple iPads”, and its quite likely that the term iPad will become common usage, much like “Hoover” became what a lot of people call Vacuum Cleaners.

Time will tell. But I think 2011 might be a disappointing year for one or two computer manufacturers.

Do you think Apple are set to own the “tablet” market for the foreseeable future? Or are Google, RIM and HP going to rake market share away from Apple in 2011? Let us know your take on it in the comments.

And they simply can’t produce enough units of their two most popular devices to keep up with consumer demand. In effect they themselves are the only obstacle they have to overcome when it comes to making yet more money!

Yesterday during Apple’s Q3 Earnings Report Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook was flat out honest with the media when asked if he knew at what time Apple would be able to keep supply in sync with demand. His answer was that he simply had no idea, but they are doing their best.

“Currently we are still selling both of those products as fast as we can make them,” Cook said. “So we are still quoting longer lead times than we’d like, and we’re working around the clock to try to get supply/demand in balance. In the scheme of things, its’ a good problem to have.”

Cook was also very eager to clarify that Apple does not deliberately create product shortages in order to increase hype. He explained that although they expected the iPad, and the new iPhone 4 to be an unmitigated success, they were still caught out by just how much of a success they were.

Do you think Apple holds back supplies to increase demand for its products? Or do you believe that they simply consistently underestimate demand for their products? Have your say in the comments…

The iPad has been a huge success for Apple and it has been difficult for them to meet the demand. At the iPhone 4 press conference Steve Jobs said that the White iPhone 4 will be available later this month but the stock will be limited in the beginning.

iPad Availability Press release:

iPad Available in Nine More Countries This Friday

CUPERTINO, California—July 19, 2010—Apple® today announced that iPad™ will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23. iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*

Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase all models of iPad through Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Pricing & Availability

All iPad models will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23.

iPad is currently available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for 16GB, $599 (US) for 32GB, and $699 (US) for 64GB for iPad Wi-Fi models and $629 (US) for 16GB, $729 (US) for 32GB and $829 (US) for 64GB for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models. iPad will roll out to many more countries later this year and Apple will announce availability and local pricing for these additional countries at a later date.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

[Apple] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/ipad-available-nine-countries-pricing/feed/ 0 https://touchreviews.net/apple-ipad-sales-3-million/ https://touchreviews.net/apple-ipad-sales-3-million/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:53:57 +0000 https://touchreviews.net/?p=7496 Read More]]> Apple confirmed today that it has sold 3 Million iPads in the 80 days since its launch. That means in the last three weeks Apple have sold another 1 Million iPads.

As of today there are 11,000 Apps for the iPad. And some 225,000 iPhone / iPod Touch and iPad apps in Apple’s App Store.

CUPERTINO, California June 22, 2010 Apple today announced that it sold its three millionth iPadª yesterday, just 80 days after its introduction in the US. iPad is a revolutionary and magical product that allows users to connect with their apps, content and the Internet in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.

“People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world, including those in nine more countries next month.”

Have you got your iPad yet? Or are you all hyped up for the new iPhone 4? Let us know in the comments.

LG on the other hand shipped close to 1 Million iPad panels in May, up from 700,000 in April.

Using these figures Digitimes concludes that Apple’s iPad shipments have reached 1.2 Million per month, this month, and are set to reach 2.5 Million units per month by year end if LG and Samsung are able to keep increasing their yields of LCD panels.

An interesting tidbit is that currently iPad display panels cost around US$80-90.

Do you think Apple will surpass 10,000,000 iPads shipped by year end? Are you still waiting for an iPad? Let us know in the comments.

That breaks down to one million iPads every month, or approximately 35,000 tablets every single day! The iPhone took another 14 days to reach the same milestone! It will be interesting to see what response does Apple’s new iPhone 4G / HD get when it is unveiled on June 07 during WWDC.

As of Monday the iTunes App Store had 8,027 dedicated iPad apps on sale.

Apple had this to say today :

CUPERTINO, California, May 31, 2010 Apple today announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3. Apple began shipping iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past weekend. iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

And Steve Jobs is quoted in their press release as follows :

“Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

Are you one of those 2 million happy customers? How long to 4 Million iPads sold? Let us know in the comments.

In contrast, the current estimate for Apple Macintosh computers to be sold outside the US in June is 500,000 units.

Abramsky had this to say :

Industry contact feedback and previously published surveys point to strong international demand, supported by media reports of long lineups at Apple stores, and strong demand for iPads.

iPads appear to be stocked out already at some stores and resellers, particularly in countries like Japan, Australia, and U.K. Online availability has been further delayed, to a vague ‘June,’ from June 7 (prior to which was May 28).

What is really interesting about the current retail areas for iPads is that they only cover 18 of the 88 countries that Apple currently sells the iPhone into. They do however account for around 50% of Apple’s overseas international revenues.

Apple has not even confirmed dates for the next 20 territories to get the iPad, and after that the remaining 50 territories have not even had a mention in Apple’s plans yet.

Abramsky also noted that the iPad is selling at about 200,000 units per week currently in the US. By contrast Apple sells around 110,000 Macs in the same period there.

In conclusion he sees Apple selling as many as 8.1 million iPads in 2010. Assuming they can ramp up manufacturing sufficiently. Personally I think they may well surpass that number by year end.

Apple changing its name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. back in 2007 seems quite prescient now.
Their core business is now without doubt handheld mobile devices, and not traditional computers.

Did you pick up an iPad in one of the new countries that have it on sale this weekend? Let us know about your personal experience in the comments.

Apple is known to restrict the number of devices you can buy during the first few months of a new product launch in order to cope with the huge demand and limited supply. When Apple began selling iPads in US they were only accepting Credit or Debit card as mode of payment to limit iPad purchases to two per customer.

Today when a California woman named Diane Campbell went to the Apple Store to purchase an iPad with the money she had saved up she was turned away as she did not have a credit or debit card.

CNET today reported that she contacted a local news station (KGO) in California which ran the story and it caught Apple’s attention and the no cash policy was reversed.

Ron Johnson, a senior vice president at Apple, in an interview with the news reporter said that they wanted to be sure that “it’s as fair as possible for people to get iPads,” and the previous policy was just to ensure that everyone can get an iPad during the high demand.

As a result of this news story Apple also delivered a free iPad to Campbell!

Now if you want to buy an iPad for cash you can but, the only catch is that you must create an Apple account at the store.

If Apple imposes same restrictions during iPhone 4G launch, be sure to report it to the local news station and you might get a free iPhone (4G / HD)!

[CNET] ]]> https://touchreviews.net/apple-accepting-cash-ipad-sales/feed/ 0 https://touchreviews.net/apple-financial-results-q2-2010/ https://touchreviews.net/apple-financial-results-q2-2010/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:42:53 +0000 https://touchreviews.net/?p=6238 Read More]]> Apple’s shares seem to be on an elevator ride to heaven right now. As of writing this update shares in AAPL are at US$258, having risen more than $14 dollars today alone. Yet another all time high!

This is off the back of very impressive second quarter earnings for what is now the biggest tech company in Silicon Valley. Apple’s phone business has gone through the roof, and the company is now working with 151 phone companies in 88 countries.

iPhone sales have grown by between 183% (in Japan) and 470% (in Asia) giving an overall growth in Apple’s iPhone business of around 200% year over year.

This quarter has been the strongest iTunes sales quarter ever, with revenues of $1.1 billion dollars. There are 185,000 apps in the App Store, 3,500 of them for the iPad already, and some 12 million songs.

The iPod still retains a 70% market share, which continues to grow year-over-year in every country, particularly the UK and Japan.

iPad demand, as we all know, is very healthy according to Apple, and has “far exceeded” the company’s expectations. And they are bullish about how many they will sell moving forward, over and above the half a million already sold of the Wi-Fi only version to date.

Oh, and they’ve sold a few computers too! 300 million units/year. Remember those! Even Apple TV sales are up by 34% year-over-year. But Apple did admit that was 34% of a relatively small number, when compared to other products.

Apple is currently sitting on just over 40 Billion Dollars of cash and investments.

And there is yet more to come. Steve Jobs teased about new products in the company’s earnings press release, saying:

We’re thrilled to report our best non-holiday quarter ever, with revenues up 49 percent and profits up 90 percent.

We’ve launched our revolutionary new iPad and users are loving it, and we have several more extraordinary products in the pipeline for this year.

Whilst ever the businessman, rather than the showman, Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO had this to say :

Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter of 2010, we expect revenue in the range of about $13.0 billion to $13.4 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share in the range of about $2.28 to $2.39.

For those that are interested the full conference call is available from Apple’s website at this URL: [apple.com]

And if hard numbers in black and white are your thing then there is this PDF: [images.apple.com]

Some analysts are predicting Apple will go through the $300 per share mark by years end.

Let us know in the comments if you think this impressive growth for Apple will continue, or if the only place from this high up is down again? I know which my bet is on!

Apple have just announced that the official launch of the iPad is being pushed back until the end of May. Previously it was to happen at the end of this month. They cite major demand for the iPad in the US as the primary reason. Although to be honest it’s also probably to do with production yields not being as high as they would like. Apple have faced some problems with their iPad manufacturing capacity as we reported just prior to the official launch.

Here is the full statement from Apple :

Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad.

We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April.

Faced with this surprisingly strong U.S. demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May.

Apple has yet to even confirm international prices for the iPad. I can confirm that iPads are available for around 24,000 Baht and 31,500 Baht (for the 16GB and 32GB versions respectively) in downtown Bangkok today. That’s around twice the retail price Apple have set in the US, and is of course from grey importers. [gnarlykitty]

Are you getting frustrated by being unable to put an order in for your Jesus Tablet? Let us know in the comments.

iPad vs. JooJoo

The JooJoo from Fusion Garage was born in controversy earlier this year. Allegedly starting life as the much vaunted CrunchPad, the JooJoo is a 12 inch tablet device. The JooJoo runs a custom, browser-based operating system, has USB connectivity, and a forward facing camera. It seems that one of the main selling points many of the iPad competitors will trumpet this year is the availability of ports not found on the iPad and the video camera missing from iPadv1. To be honest, I’ve gone back and forth in my head about it as well. I understand Apple’s reasoning in omitting the ports and making external connectivity an option. I understand the argument for having them. In the end, if it doesn’t affect the quality of the device, I don’t think the presence or absence would sway my decision one way or another.

Contender or pretender? The JooJoo screen is 2 inches larger than the iPad. It has a multitouch capacitive display that runs at a 1366 X 768 resolution. It has USB ports and a camera. From a sheer hardware point of view it could be argued the JooJoo is a winner. The problem with this conclusion is the iPad is a more complete package than just the hardware. Along with the hardware comes an experience intertwined with it. The iPad brings a familiar operating system user experience with a catalog of over 150,000 applications. The JooJoo runs a custom operating system closed to development than no one has ever used before. In the end the integrated experience overrules the brute force hardware size approach the JooJoo seems to take.

Conclusion? Pretender.

iPad vs. zenPad

The Enso zenPad snuck on to the scene a couple of weeks ago with little fanfare. A 5 inch device running Android 1.6, the zenPad makes its run against the iPad from a different approach than the JooJoo. While the JooJoo trumpets its size and connectivity options, the zenPad emphasizes how inexpensive it is. It also comes with microUSB and microSD connectivity but Enso is really pushing the fact you can have an Android tablet with GPS and 3G connectivity for $215 USD. GPS and 3G connectivity are optional but attractive at this price point. It would certainly appeal to the price conscious tablet shopper.

Contender or pretender? The zenPad is half the size of the iPad. It runs Android 1.6 which is a positive in that there are a catalog of applications for the device but it’s also a negative. Android is a very splintered and branched operating system. Android 1.6 is an older version of the operating system that exists today as a bare minimum for most of the newest and hottest Android applications. There are promises of 2.x upgrades on the Enso web site but until that happens you’re stuck at 1.6. From a usage point of view, Android still pales in comparison to the iPhone/iPad operating system. Sure the zenPad is cheap and if that rules your spending habits this might be the device for you. I don’t know about you but I may be willing to go to the dollar store to buy a lot of things but my computer isn’t one of them.

Conclusion? Pretender.

iPad vs. HP Slate

This is the heavy weight bout everyone has been waiting for. The HP Slate is HP and Microsoft’s entry into the tablet market. While there will probably be several tablets running the Windows operating system this year, the HP Slate has been crowned as Microsoft’s main champion in the space. Steve Ballmer showed it off at CES, and it has gotten the full court press from both HP and Microsoft. The Slate will be slightly smaller than the iPad (8.9 inch display versus the iPad’s 9.7) but sports a host of connectivity options through USB and SD card slots. It will also sport dual cameras, one forward and one rearward facing. It will run Windows 7 optimized with a custom touch UI overlay developed by HP. The Slate’s vector on the tablet market seems to take a netbook and squish it down to tablet size.

Contender or pretender? The Slate, when viewed in the context of the iPad, is interesting for a number of reasons, none of them good. The first reason I just mentioned. Instead of reinventing and innovating as, Apple clearly did with the iPad, HP and Microsoft just took the innards of a netbook, squished them down as small as they could and threw in Windows 7. Doesn’t that sound appealing? The second reason it’s interesting is the feature list. Between the USB connectors, SD card slots, and dual cameras; it sounds like the Slate was designed off a sheet listing the shortcomings of the iPad. Instead of analyzing the issue properly, HP and Microsoft seemed to have wanted to latch on to the criticisms of the iPad as a selling point of their own device. I’m sure this will bring some people to their side but ultimately it doesn’t make their device any better than Apple’s. Windows 7 running on netbook electronics will be a nightmare and won’t offer anything near the user experience people are reporting on the iPad.

Conslusion? Pretender.

The Winner?

This will obviously not come as a surprise to you but the iPad is still clearly the best tablet device available. Some have bigger screens, some have USB ports, some may even come with six or seven cameras! Adding things, dropping prices, or making it sing and dance won’t make it any better than the iPad. The genius and logic of the iPad is that it combines the elements it is comprised of into an integrated experience that was clearly thought out and produced with all the elements in mind. Sure, Apple could have had a bigger screen but that would have made the device more heavy and unwieldy. Sure they could have added cameras but that would have added to the price. If there is one thing you can trust an Apple device to be, it is well designed with a purpose and intention. They aren’t chasing a list of “must haves” or criticisms of the competition. Say what you will about Apple, they make great stuff. The fact they sold 300,000 units on the first day only reinforces that.

My advice? If you haven’t bought an iPad, save your pennies for one. The JooJoo, zenPad, and Slate are poor seconds to the versatility, design, and ability of the iPad.

Getting units without a pre-order did not seem to be a huge problem on the first day either. I myself was in touch with a couple of friend’s in California who were able to pick up an iPad having not reserved one. Those iPads are now in a plane hold on the way to friends of mine in Thailand! My iPad was delivered by Black Hawk helicopter to my penthouse HQ earlier today! I jest.

However it is worth noting that Munster had previously estimated that 200,000 – 300,000 units would be sold over the iPads first weekend in stores.

Even so his findings seems to agree with mine :

“[Despite] longer than expected lines at the start of the day,” as of 7:30 p.m. Eastern time 19 of 20 Apple stores he contacted still had all three models available for sale.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that some stores had very small lines, if any : [online.wsj.com]

Perhaps those people who don’t have one yet in other countries won’t have to wait too long for them to appear in their Apple Stores.

How did your iPad pickup go? Let us know in the comments.

Developers Developers Developers! iPad Developers that is…

Apple sent out a rousing call to all it’s iPhone, iPod and iPad Developers as the week closed, informing them that they have until the 27th of March to get their iPad apps in for review, or risk missing the iPad App Store Grand Opening. Apps submitted in time are not guaranteed a place in launch offerings, but Apple promise to get back to devs who have submitted stuff with more info after the 27th.

What is very interesting is that the vast majority of developers have not even seen an iPad in the flesh, let alone had one to test their software on. So a lot of these apps will have only been tested using a pre-release SDK and a Simulator. Some developers who have asked, and been turned down, for iPad test units have taken some innovative steps to test their app strategies, including making life-size cardboard cutouts of the devices to get an idea of how touches and swipes will work when actually holding a device! Sounds like fun indeed!

Anyone up for a 6 day iPad programming challenge? I am thinking of seeing what I can get together for submission right on the deadline.. Perhaps an iPad sized Zombie Game?

With regards to how well the iPad is selling. Something I’ve not touched on specifically in this roundup. Erin wrote an interesting article on how persuasive Steve Jobs is as a salesman, and how that has driven iPad sales, here : [TouchReviews.net]

“Elite” iPad devs get their toys early

As we reported earlier in the week, certain iPad developers that Apple considers a good bet for app awesomeness have been tied to restrictive “Mission Impossible” style conditions, with multi-page legally binding contracts in order to be allowed access to pre-release iPads this week.

“Would-be testers of the tablet-style computer, due to be released Apr. 3, must promise to keep it isolated in a room with blacked-out windows, according to four people familiar with the more than 10-page pact that bars partners from disclosing information about the iPad. To ensure that it can’t be removed, the iPad must also remain tethered to a fixed object, said the people, who asked not to be named because their plans for the iPad have not been made public. Apple won’t send out an iPad until potential partners send photographic evidence that they’ve complied.”

Meanwhile rumours are spreading today that some of those “elite” devs have already broken their agreements. If anything awesome is leaked, that you need to know about, I am sure it will come to a web site near you very soon. My guess is still that for Apple to even consider letting devices out to non-Apple staff prior to launch, it’s because there is no super secret stuff in those “pre-release” units. Most likely this is geared towards helping certain high profile reviewers and devs spread the word with articles on the iPad on launch day.

Apple plans to sell 13 million iPads

Details of LCD screen manufacture deals for iPads have been leaked. Doing the math based on contracts Apple purportedly has with Samsung and LG this gives us an idea that Apple plan on producing a total of 13 million iPads over the next few years. One hopes that the two manufacturers produce screens of the same quality. Or we may end up with A and B grade iPads, like we had A and B quality 13″ Unibody MacBooks last year.

But in any case that’s a lot of iPads Apple are planning to sell!

HTC hits back at Apple Lawsuit. More lines are drawn in the virtual sand in the coming Google v Apple cyberwar!

HTC released a press release this week with a statement on their feelings about the Apple lawsuit against them. A lawsuit which is related to multi-touch and other smart phone patents. Although, when you read the press release it’s more of list of what they perceive as their accomplishments, and does little to address Apple’s case points.

Here’s a link to the Press Release for those interested : [prnewswire.com]

Perhaps they are still waiting for instructions from Google on how best to proceed?

In the meantime Rupert Murdoch, predictably (he has a pre-release iPad by his own admission) praises the iPad and criticises Google. Some of you may know that Murdoch and his corporation NewsCorp are very likely to find themselves somewhere on the same side as the Apple camp as future conflict lines are drawn in the search and mobile communications industry.

If I was forced to pick a side I’d be nervous of having Murdoch in my camp. But that’s just me.

In Android related news the Nexus One will be available on all four of the big US networks. This is to compensate for a somewhat lacklustre start for the device on TMobile.
For those of you that have not read it already, you can read my take on part of the brewing Apple v Google war here: [TouchReviews.net] , and a slightly longer piece from the New York Times here : [nytimes.com]

Apple stops selling screen protectors in it’s stores

I personally have a screen protector on every mobile device I own. Most often I buy the type that can be taken on and off multiple times, rather than the type that physically sticks to your screen. I also get one of the nice girls at our local stores here in Bangkok to put them on for me. When they do it, using some kind of Asian Girl magic, they never get dust or hairs stuck under the protector.

Apple see this dirt and dust as an issue with screen protectors, and also are busy pimping their “Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating” screen technology for the iPhone 3GS and iPad, which repels fingerprints and oil stains. Personally I’ve not found that coating to be all it’s cracked up to be. Perhaps I am just super greasy! (No comments required on that – thanks!)

In any case, vendors that Apple is dropping from it’s stores insist they’ll keep selling their screen protectors as they, like me, see the need for them. Perhaps Apple need to get some Thai Girls to work in their Genius bars. I am sure they’d love a chance to work in the US and elsewhere.

iPad Developer bits and pieces

Some little titbits of info here for devs:

There is a new version of the iPhone Developer Application Loader available from Apple now, which presumably has been updated for iPad Apps. May make getting your new masterpiece to Apple a little easier. [Download File]

Apple has given developers more control over the way that their App prices change. What developers used to have to do was change the price of their app live and wait for it to propagate through the global iTunes system. This made it a little bit of a hit and miss affair across regions for sales and free promotional periods. Now Apple has actually added some scheduling control to the application management area in iTunes, to make this all a bit more predictable. Nice touch Apple.

Yet another exciting week in “Touch” land… Two weeks to go until the world explodes and the Jesus Tablet finally arrives!

Let us know your thoughts below. Did we miss anything?