After months of anticipation, rumors and speculation, Apple officially unveiled the third generation iPad last week. Simply called “The New iPad,†the latest version of the Cupertino, California-based company’s top-selling tablet hit shelves today [March 16] but, to no surprise, the pre-order demand was so high that it caused a two to three week delivery delay. The must-have frenzy surrounding Apple products is nothing new. For the last decade, Apple aficionados and die-hard fans alike have gone as far as to camp outside of retail stores days in advance just to be the first to get their hands on the latest gadget. It’s this sort of incessant fanfare that keeps Apple making money hand over fist.
In 2010, the consumer electronics provider became the world’s most valuable technology company, snatching the coveted title from Microsoft, who dominated computer use for close to 20 years. Last year, Apple celebrated its highest quarterly revenue and earnings ever (October 2011-December 2011), with $46.3 billion in revenue and a record quarterly net profit of $13.6 billion. With the popularity and sales of smart phones, hand-held devices and digital music at an all time high, and analysts forecasting nearly 200 million iPhones and iPads to be sold this year, it’s shaping up to be another banner year for the retailer. What’s more, earlier this month, it was announced that Apple plans to build a $304 million campus in Austin, Texas, adding 3,600 jobs over the next decade and doubling its workforce in the city.
With the release of the New iPad on the minds of every tech junkie around the world, and launch day sales expected to top one million units sold, BlackEnterprise.com Decodes the sales figures for Apple’s major product launches and upgrades over the last decade. –Shydel James