Both Apple and Samsung are touting sales numbers today. Apple said it sold 3 million iPads in the first three days that its new iPad mini and fourth generation iPad were available in stores. Meanwhile, Samsung said in a statement that it has sold 30 million Galaxy S III smartphones.
Apple’s three million in iPad sales is double the previous first weekend milestone of 1.5 million Wi-Fi-only iPads sold for the third generation iPad in March.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said in a statement that the company had “practically sold out” of iPad minis.
“We’re working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand,” Cook said.
The Wi-Fi + Cellular versions of both the iPad mini and fourth generation iPad will ship in a few weeks in the United States and in many more countries later this year.
The tablet market grew by 6.7 percent in the third quarter, and Apple grabbed half of the 27.8 million shipments globally, down from the 65.5 percent it held in the second quarter, according to IDC estimates.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab slates held on to second place with 18.4 percent of total shipments in the second quarter.
While Apple may rule the roost when it comes to the tablet market, Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphone are burying Apple’s iPhone in the smartphone arena. Samsung sold 30 million of the Galaxy S III devices in the five months since that device was released in May of this year.
According to additional numbers from IDC released last week, fully 75 percent of all smartphones are currently running the Android operating system. Apple’s iOS grabbed 14.9 percent of the smartphone market, down significantly from the same quarter last year when 26 percent of all smartphones came running Apple’s mobile operating system.
Filed Under: Devices
