Apple fired a warning shot across the bows of potential iPad competitors yesterday, revealing it has taken just shy of two months to sell two million units.
The achievement means the firm has sold twice as many iPads in less time than it took to sell its first million iPhones, and presents competitors lining up rival products with a formidable task, particularly since the global launch of the iPad on Friday means the figure is set to grow rapidly in the coming weeks.
Apple launched the device in the US on April 3, and extended sales to nine new countries. More markets will be added in July.
Analysts predict global iPad sales will hit 7-8 million in 2010, and grow to 46 million by 2014, according to the Daily Telegraph.
However, the device will also spur interest in the tablet PC form factor, and help drive global sales to 398 million by 2014, the UK daily reported.
CEO Steve Jobs said the firm is “working hard to build enough iPads for everyone,” in the statement, alluding to shortages that delayed the device’s international launch.
The firm also took a swipe at critics who questioned whether enough applications were available for the device, revealing there are now 5,000 unique apps, and that the tablet will run most of the 200,000 apps in Apple’s App Store.
While the iPad sales figures are impressive, they still fall well short of the iPhone 3G, which took just three days to hit the magic million mark.