Apple Sells Three Million iPads in Three Days
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Apple announced Monday morning that it sold three million iPad Minis and fourth-generation iPads since it went on sale Friday.
While Apple didn’t break down sales between the two, analysts at Piper Jaffray predicted that Apple would only sell 1.5 million Minis in the first few days.
Apple sold three million of the new iPads in the first weekend of its launch in March. But with that version, it had WiFi and 3G-4G units on shelves at launch. With the Mini, only the WiFi version launched this week; the 3G-4G versions will launch later this month.
In addition to the Mini, Apple also released a slightly updated version of its larger iPad. The fourth-generation iPad has a new processor and dock connector. With the sales of both products combined, Apple is calling this a launch weekend record for the iPad.
The iPad Mini joined a few other popular smaller tablets on the market, including the $199 Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD. Asus, the maker of the Nexus 7, has reported it sells close to one million units a month.
The new iPad, which starts at $329, has a smaller 7.9-inch screen than the regular 9.7-inch iPad. While the Mini has a lower-resolution screen, it still has all the same capabilities as the other iPad since it runs iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s operating system for the iPhone and iPad.
Despite the recent superstorm, the Mini was sold out at various stores in New York City this weekend. Apple has begun to allow customers to reserve the tablet online and pick it up in-store the next day.
“We set a new launch weekend record and practically sold out of iPad minis,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “We’re working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio