Touch, iPad could reach half of iOS sales

Apple's total iPod touch sales, including all generations, have been estimated to reach 42 million units, accounting for 37.7 percent of iOS devices. The estimate, provided by research firm Asymco, has been derived from the total number of iOS devices compared with iPhone and iPad sales. An April estimate suggested the Touch represented 41 percent of iOS devices. The drop has been attributed to the ongoing impact of iPad sales and the iPhone 4 launch.

Although the Touch has not kept up with the sales pace of the iPhone and iPad, the numbers are still good enough to make it the number-one selling iPod in Apple's lineup, according to Steve Jobs. The chief executive also claimed the device "become the number one portable game player in the world… [it] outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined." When compared with Asymco's estimate, however, the Touch has yet to eclipse Nintendo's DS portables, which have reached 125 million units, or Sony's PSP devices, which have surpassed 62 million units. Jobs' comments appear to be accurate when comparing recent sales, rather than overall totals, as analyst Gene Munster estimates that Apple sold 6.8 million Touches in the previous quarter. In the same period of time, Nintendo and Sony achieved a combined total of just 4.35 million gaming handhelds.

Asymco was impressed with the growing percentage of non-cellular iOS devices. At roughly 42 percent, the combination of iPads and iPod touches is approaching half of all non-cellular sales. With the iPad sales still going strong and the new iPod touch introduction, the analysts suggest 50 percent is within reach. via AppleInsider

by MacNN Staff