The iPhone 6 produced record sales for Apple during the
fiscal quarter that ended Dec. 27. The iPad failed to impress, however, with
unit shipments falling by around 4.5 million in 2014 over the total shipped in
2013.
At the same time, Apple still sold more than 21 million
iPads in the quarter and first-time-buyer rates remained strong. Apple CEO Tim
Cook reported at a recent press event that about 50% of iPad buyers in the
United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom were first-time customers, adding that
rate is more than 70% in China.
Cook also noted that user rates are six times higher
for iPads than its nearest competitor. He said iPad usage, measured in web
browsing, is more than 70%, while 80% of e-commerce on tablets is being done on
iPads.
In addition, no other tablet-maker can claim it shipped
more tablets than Apple during the holiday season. The company also sold nearly
four times more iPads than Mac desktop computers in the most recent quarter,
according to a report in InformationWeek.
