Apple's iPod sales may see an unusual boost during the second quarter of the year, say analysts with the research firm Piper Jaffray. The group argues that results from the first month of the quarter, collected by NPD, point to approximately 10.5 to 11 million iPods being sold by the end. If so, this would represent a 1 percent quarter-over-quarter growth, instead of the 6 percent sequential decline (to 10 million iPods) predicted by historical trends. Piper itself has previously estimated sales of 10.2 million iPods.

The growth prediction is based on the division of sales from the past two June quarters, which on average saw 28 percent in April, 31 percent in May, and 41 percent in June. This extrapolation may not reflect the current reality however, particularly in light of the February price cut on iPod shuffles, which helped boost unit figures. Piper mentions that ASP may have gone down as result, to $175 in April from as much as $181 in December. An ASP of $172 may be expected by the end of Q2.