Just a few months ago, consumers who purchased an iPad through Apple’s online store were forced to wait for as many as two weeks for the product to ship. However, the company announced earlier today that all six versions of the innovative, tablet-style PC device are now being shipped just 24 hours after an order is placed.
Due to production delays and unexpectedly high demand, a waitlist for the iPad formed soon after the product hit the market. In fact, Apple essentially ran out of the tablets 10 days after it began selling them through its online store, PC World reports. More than 200,000 individuals pre-ordered the iPod, with another 500,000 who purchased the product the first week it went on sale. Within four months of its launch, more than 3.27 million iPad’s were sold.
Several media outlets reported back in July that shipping delays were predominately due to the inability of iPad’s display provider, LG, to keep up with production.
“Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can’t meet it all,” Kwon Young-soo, LG’s chief executive officer, told reporters earlier in July. We are currently running “at full capacity, but still experiencing production shortages of the iPad display.”
The recent improvement in the company’s shipping times is most likely attributable to an expansion of production, as the demand for iPad’s remains high.
Last week, Fortune Magazine increased its build forecast for the iPod by 1 million units.
“We believe there is upside potential to our 4QFY10 estimate and CY10 target of 13.4 million iPads, given the strong demand and anticipated production ramp heading into the back-to-school and holiday seasons, as well as the high level of interest from business customers as expressed by AT&T,” wrote Susquehanna Financial’s Jeff Fidacaro.
iPads range from $499 to $829, depending upon their storage size and features. Apple is currently in the process of designing and testing a new version of the iPad, which is expected to hit the market in April of 2011.
Beecher Tuttle is a Web Editor for TechZone360. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. He received his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Colorado.
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Beecher Tuttle
