New numbers show Apple moving 4.5 million iPads per quarter, making it the fastest selling gadget ever.

As if selling 300,000 iPads on day one and two million of them in two months weren’t evidence enough that Apple had a hit on its hands with the iPad, it seems the supertablet has recently been elevated to an even higher status: the fastest-selling gadget ever.

According to Bernstein Research, Apple now moves over 4.5 million iPads per quarter, earning it that enviable title. At that rate, Apple moves more than 49,000 iPads in a single day, or about one every two seconds.

“By any account, the iPad is a runaway success of unprecedented proportion.” said Colin McGranahan, retail analyst at Bernstein Research, in a note to investors. By contrast, DVD players sold only 350,000 in their first year on the market, and it took the iPhone an entire quarter to reach one million units sold.

If it stays on track, analysts suggest it could become a category all its own in consumer electronics, ranking fourth behind TVs, smartphones and notebook PCs with an estimated $9 billion in U.S. sales.

Curiously, despite the comparisons to DVD players and iPhones, Bernstein neglected to mention which gadget, exactly, the iPad had replaced as “best selling,” leaving some question of how contested the title really is.

Despite concerns that iPad sales are cutting into traditional notebook PC sales, NPD reported earlier this month that only 13 percent of iPad owners bought their iPads in place of a conventional computer.

Showing 13 comments

  1. Guest at 8:50am 23rd December 2010 Funny, I would have given it the title of most pointless gadget ever. Its just awful.
  2. George at 10:04am 13th October 2010 I have yet to purchase one, but love Apple products... When the price comes down I will get it http://www.websiteguide.co
  3. yhsu at 8:09am 13th October 2010 Station is worth a good push
  4. Black Sheep at 7:19am 13th October 2010 Need to do more research before proclaiming stuff. More sheeps /sigh
  5. sillyapplefanboys at 5:56am 13th October 2010 ermmm you should get out of the house more.... I bet your underwear is made by Apple too.
  6. Ted Danza at 4:03am 13th October 2010 Taco bell sold more taco in the first month I think.
  7. Zac at 2:11am 13th October 2010 I don't have one yet but want one.
  8. Vishnu at 10:15pm 12th October 2010 The iPad is amazing. It can be used for anything. In my family alone there are 4. All of us have one each. Its my favourite gadget ever.
  9. racheal at 9:25pm 12th October 2010 i wish the company i work for ( it starts with Bends with E) sell that much i would have been rich of comestion.
  10. Belbum at 8:38pm 12th October 2010 Razr sold 50 million in 2 years, at a peak of 3 million per month.....faster than this.
  11. ioman at 2:02pm 12th October 2010 Love mine. I have one here at work the company bought me and another one at home. I am constantly fighting my wife for it haha.
  12. dave at 1:47pm 12th October 2010 and in my family there are none
  13. macewan at 1:41pm 12th October 2010 How well does this device sell? In our family alone there are 3 iPads.
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