iSuppli: Apple to sell 7.1 million iPads in 2010

Although customers have yet to touch the device, let alone see it in person, that hasn’t stopped iSuppli from predicting that Apple will ship a whopping 7.1 million units of the tablet in 2010. The numbers, which iSuppli has called “conservative”, are based on a high volume of sales to both early adopters and those who are “attracted to the iPad’s unique touch-screen-based user interface”. The number is definitely up there, it’s the highest prediction we’ve heard, but it must be remembered that just a few days into pre-orders Apple supposedly sold more than 150,000 units in the US alone. Elsewhere, Apple itself is said to be surprised by the number of people that have registered their interest in the device. Even though the competition is sure to explode as we head deeper and deeper into 2010 and beyond, iSuppli is already speculating that 2011 will see sales of 14.4 million units with 2012 seeing 20.1 million sold. If any one company can move this much gear that truthfully serves no purpose other than content consumption, it’s definitely Apple.

Read