Apple is bristling with pride this week having announced that its juggernaut iPad has already sold in excess of two million units since its April 3rd release.
The Cupertino-based company is largely on schedule to reach industry expectations that upwards of five million iPads may be sold by the end of 2010. RBC Capital Markets, however, predicts that as many as eight million units may ship worldwide before 2011 arrives, a scenario that could generate some $4 billion in revenue for Apple, according to Reuters.
On Friday, the iPad received a global boost as nine countries began selling the device for the first time. By Monday, long lines and depleted inventories were commonplace throughout Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Apple maintains that additional overseas markets will get the iPad in July, with other countries scheduled to receive the tablet later in 2010.
When Apple revealed the staggering sales statistics, CEO Steve Jobs stated that “customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do.” Initially, Apple was forced to delay the international launch of the iPad by a month due to supply difficulties in the wake of bigger-than-expected demand.
Although the iPad has been Apple’s biggest attention-getter of 2010, the iPad will soon have to share the spotlight with another hotly anticipated device from Cupertino. On June 7th, Steve Jobs is expected to unveil the 4th generation iPhone at the start of the 2010 WWDC in San Francisco, California.
