After Apple revealed both a fourth-generation iPad and an iPad mini last week, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley is expecting Apple to sell 101.6 million iPads in 2013. In comparison, Amazon is expected to sell only 10.7 million tablets while Samsung is projected to sell 8.3 million. It is worth noting that Samsung is expected to take an impressive lead in smartphone sales over Apple. Apple is expected to sell over 193 million iPhones while Samsung may sell as many as 303 million phones.
Walkley said the following about the expected iPad sales figures and why they’re so high:
With the impressive refresh of the 4th generation Retina iPad and launch of the iPad Mini earlier this week, we anticipate very strong holiday quarter iPad sales. In fact, with Apple’s decisions to price the iPad Mini at a $170 discount to similar 4th generation iPad SKUs and competitively priced versus lower priced competing products from Google and other Android OEMs, we anticipate strong sales of the iPad Mini, especially as gifts during the holiday quarter. Further, we believe the iPad Mini significantly expands Apple’s tablet addressable market internationally and should lead to strong sales throughout F2013 as international distribution increases.
As Apple has already sold over 100 million iPads at its $499 price in just two years, an iPad sporting a $329 price should definitely catch the eye of some consumers who either don’t have the funds for a $499 model or can’t justify its price. If this is true, Apple could effectively double the amount of iPads in consumers hands in just a year.
