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December 14, 2012

iPad Shipments Expected to Reach 100 Million in 2013

By David Gitonga, TMCnet Contributing Writer

The year 2012 was a good year for the iPad. The launch of three tablets saw a phenomenal demand that Apple (News - Alert) could not sustain. While 2012 was indeed a good year for the Apple tablet market, 2013 predictions say that it will be an even bigger year for the iPad, with shipment expectations reaching 100 million.



Interestingly, while the new iPad was meant to replace the iPad 2, strong sales of the legacy model have continued, requiring Apple to adjust panel production downward to maintain the production of iPad 2 panels. iPad 2 panels in 2012 numbered 23 million compared to the total 70 million iPad panels. 


Image via Shutterstock

The iPad mini continues to see strong sales since its launch in October. While Apple expected to sell only six million units of the seven inch tablet, the company has continued to ask panel makers to ship more than 12 million panels in the fourth quarter alone in2012 due to strong demand. Despite the highly criticized $329 price tag (News - Alert) of the iPad mini, it was voted one of the hottest consumer products of 2012 in Japan.

With high demand for iPads not slowing down, the irony is that iPad panels are hard to make due to their high resolution and low power consumption requirements. In addition, their wide viewing angle and high color saturation specifications require additional photomask steps that only experienced panel makers can produce within short production times at high yield rates. This has required Apple to find more panel suppliers and will likely have to do that in 2013 if the current state of demand is anything to go by.

The growing demand for the iPad mini in 2013 is expected to reach 50 million, while the new iPad will account for 40 million. The iPad 2 is expected to account for 10 million units. All in all, the 2013 tablet PC market is expected to be dominated by Apple at approximately 60 percent market share.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.




Edited by Brooke Neuman
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