Apple’s new iPad may see a bit of a sales shift this time around. Unlike in the past where sales were split 60/40 between the Wi-Fi only edition (60%) and the 3G edition of the iPad (40%), it is being predicted that sales of the Wi-Fi model and the LTE model are going to be closer to a 50/50 split this time around.
LTE is a huge incentive for most new iPad purchasers. Like we said in our new iPad review, having access to that kind of speed everywhere you go, should LTE be available, is mighty enticing. That being said, I opted for the 16 GB Wi-Fi only model. I almost pulled the trigger on the LTE, but talked myself out of it because of my ability to tether my iPhone to my iPad using Hotspot. I won’t be getting LTE speeds since I’ll still be on the 3G network, but should the next iPhone ship with LTE I’d pretty much be getting the same speeds on my iPad over Hotspot.
Also found in the study, over 46 percent of new iPad owners have purchased an iPad for the first time, and 45 percent of purchasers were lining up to buy the 16 GB Wi-Fi-only model. Again, the numbers aren’t overly surprising, given what I saw at the Apple store on release day. The lineup was short, and everyone I spoke to was getting an iPad for the first time. My unscientific gut feeling is that a lot of iPad 2 owners decided to sit this one out. That being said, new iPad sales are still absolutely killing it.
