Apple Sells One Million iPads
Apple® today announced that it sold its one millionth iPad™ on Friday, just 28 days after its introduction on April 3. iPad users have already downloaded over 12 million apps from the App Store and over 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBookstore.
Context & Ripple Effects
The iPad moved from a 300,000-unit first-day launch to one million sales in 28 days, giving Apple a substantial installed base shortly after introduction. Apple also reports 12 million App Store downloads and 1.5 million iBookstore downloads, tying device demand to its two digital storefronts.
The milestone echoes Apple’s earlier one-millionth iPhone sale, but the iPad’s early usage figures make the more immediate question how quickly its software and book catalogs can serve a distinct screen and use case.
First-order effects
- Apple gains a one-million-device audience for App Store apps and iBookstore titles, while developers and publishers gain a larger addressable market for iPad-specific offerings.
Second-order effects
- The reported download volumes give Apple stronger evidence that hardware sales are producing storefront activity, raising the incentive for app makers and book publishers to prioritize iPad distribution.
Third-order effects
- If device sales and digital purchases continue reinforcing one another, tablet competition will hinge less on hardware alone and more on the depth and accessibility of the software and reading ecosystems attached to each device.
The trend: The iPad is an early example of a device launch being measured not only by units sold but by how rapidly it activates a connected app and content marketplace.