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Apple sold record 3 million iPad mini and iPad 4 units during launch weekend

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Nov 05, 2012, 8:31 AM

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Apple sold record 3 million iPad mini and iPad 4 units during launch weekend

The rumors for the iPad's death seem to be a bit premature, as Apple just announced it has sold no less than 3 million iPads during the launch weekend. The sales aggregate consists of both the iPad mini and he 4th generation iPad.

Just today IDC posted its tablet market share, where Apple's tablet slipped to 50.4%, but, judging from these record sales over the weekend, this has been due to people waiting it out for the new gear.

Apple didn't break down sales by model, but analysts were predicting 1.5 million iPad mini sales. Apple essentially sold out of the initial inventory it had amassed to gauge acceptance of its bite-size slate, and now there is a waiting time for delivery.

On the new iPad launch weekend earlier this year, Apple sold million and a half units, and now it is double that amount, but including the iPad minis as well. Considering that the smaller iPad still fetches about a Benjamin profit for Apple, the slate will earn in pretty penny in a market Apple had no presence until last Friday. Moreover, it doesn't seem like it is cannibalizing many iPad 4 sales, which analysts were concerned about at launch.

source: Apple

Apple Sells Three Million iPads in Three Days

Wi-Fi Only Models of New iPad mini & Fourth Generation iPad Double Previous First Weekend Sales

CUPERTINO, California—November 5, 2012—Apple® today announced it has sold three million iPads in just three days since the launch of its new iPad® mini and fourth generation iPad—double the previous first weekend milestone of 1.5 million Wi-Fi only models sold for the third generation iPad in March. The Wi-Fi + Cellular versions of both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad will ship in a few weeks in the US and in many more countries later this year.

“Customers around the world love the new iPad mini and fourth generation iPad,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We set a new launch weekend record and practically sold out of iPad minis. We're working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand.”

The new iPad mini features a stunning 7.9-inch Multi-Touch™ display, FaceTime® HD and iSight® cameras, ultrafast wireless performance* and an incredible 10 hours of battery life**. The new fourth generation iPad features a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina™ display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance.

Both iPad mini and the new fourth generation iPad with Retina display are available in 34 countries including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the UK, and will be available in many more countries later this year, including mainland China. Demand for iPad mini exceeded the initial supply and while many of the pre-orders have been shipped to customers, some are scheduled to be shipped later this month.

Pricing & Availability
iPad mini with Wi-Fi comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $329 (US) for the 16GB model, $429 (US) for the 32GB model and $529 (US) for the 64GB model. Fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi models are available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. Both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad are available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular and fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available in the US on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon in a few weeks. iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be offered for a suggested retail price of $459 (US) for the 16GB model, $559 (US) for the 32GB model and $659 (US) for the 64GB model. Fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will be offered for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. Additionally, iPad 2 is available at $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model where they are sold now.

*LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks. Check with your carrier for details.
**Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.