Apple’s iPad the Best Selling Tablet in China

Going back a few months, the iPad 3 was launched in China and found only 30 people willing to purchase it. The initial sales were embarrassing to say the least, a blotch on Apple’s otherwise formidable performance throughout the year. Retrospectively though, it does seem as though that was merely a temporary stumbling block for the company. The iPad has grown in popularity over the last few months and its sales show that presently, the iPad is the best selling tablet in China.

In the latest quarter, Apple is said to command over 70% of the market share for tablets in China. The market for tablets is growing in China as more people are opening up to the concept of handheld devices. To say that Apple is the numero uno company in terms of tablet sales in China is an understatement. With 71.4% of the tablets sold being iPad, Apple has left behind other makers in its wake. In fact, the second-ranked Lenovo has a mere 10.5% market share with Samsung back in fourth.

The sales report show that 2.6 million tablets have been sold in China over the past quarter. Going strictly by market share, it means that Apple has sold 1.8 million iPads in the past three months in China alone. 1.8 million out of a population of over a billion doesn’t seem like much but one should keep in mind that iPads are expensive and the average Chinese cannot afford one. Taking that into consideration, it does show that Apple is making giant strides in the Chinese tablet market.

Once again, Apple seems to be in the right place at the right time. The market for tablets is growing in China, as evidenced by the increased sales over the last quarter. Comparing this quarter to the second, sales have increased by more than 60%. With Apple enjoying over 70% of the market share, the company will continue piling on profits as the market expands in the future. A clearer picture will emerge at the end of the year when the fourth quarter sales reports come in.

Some quarters are also reporting that Apple’s decision to push forward the development of the iPad Mini was in part due to the growth of the tablet market in China. Initially when the idea was first mentioned, founder Steve Jobs had vehemently opposed it. That however is history as the iPad Mini has been launched to the market. The sales of the smaller iPad in China will show whether Apple is justified in developing the iPad Mini or not.

The major factor here would be that the iPad Mini is $70 cheaper than the iPad which would make it more affordable for the people in China. Hence, it can be concluded that the Chinese would be inclined to purchasing it instead of the more expensive larger version. Regardless of how the iPad Mini fares in China, there is no doubt anymore that the iPad is the best selling tablet in China at present.

[Images via itelegraph & thenextweb]