3 ms·

Isn't this mainly because the new iPad came out in the first quarter, whereas most other electronics are bought for the holidays?

• rmah 15y ago
  In Q4 2011, there were 28.2 million tablets sold vs 17.4 mil in Q1 2012. So a sequential decline of 38%. While holiday sales are obviously significant, what this might indicate is that more people will purchase for themselves but are more willing to purchase alternatives (like the cheaper Kindle Fire) as gifts for others.
  • bunderbunder 15y ago
    Totally anecdotally, among all the tablet owners I know Fires have been gifts and other tablets have been self-purchases. I also know some folks for whom the gift of a Kindle Fire ended up being the icebreaker that convinced them to spring for an iPad. Assuming those are indicative of real trends, that's got to be very disconcerting for Amazon. I doubt that dedicated e-readers are going to drive ebooks for a whole lot longer. If they can't bring out a strong contender in the tablet space, they stand to lose their command of the market.
  • smackfu 15y ago
    Or it means people were waiting for the iPad 3 in order to buy an iPad...
• astrodust 15y ago
  It could be the beginning of the end for Amazon's chance to succeed. By alienating the retail channel, which is very important for consumer devices, Amazon may find themselves struggling to find places to sell their device other than their own store. While Amazon has a large customer base, it can't compete for market share with the big-box retailers and boutique stores that companies like Samsung and Apple have a significant presence in.