The original iPad was released back in 2010 and it is safe to say that Apple’s newest gadget took the tablet market, which wasn’t thriving at that time, by storm. Since then the company has released updated models of its tablet every year, even breaking tradition last year to release the 7.9 inch iPad mini. Ming Chi Kuo, a well known Apple analyst at KGI, believes that Q2 2013 might bring the first ever year-on-year decline in iPad shipments. The reason being cited for this is, among others, strong competition from Android tablets.
Ming believes that Apple will move some 14 or 15 million iPad units in Q2, which translates in to a 20% to 25% quarter-to-quarter or a 10% to 15% year-on-year decline in shipments. Another reason given for this purported decline is low iPad mini shipments, it has already been rumored that Apple is seeing a decline in demand for the iPad mini. However, the analyst does believe that a jump in shipments might be seen in the third quarter as the rumored next generation iPad and quite possibly the Retina Display iPad mini 2 are released around the holiday season. Apple CEO Tim Cook has already said that new products will be coming around the month of September.