The new iPad – or, as your parents call it, the iPad 3 – has sold over three million units since hitting shelves last Friday. The new iPad, which has a sparkly Retina display along with upgraded internals, has been a massive hit, with Apple calling it their “strongest iPad launch yet.” That’s unsurprising, especially considering the last mythical tablet sold only a million sales in its first few days.
While not strictly a gaming device, the new iPad does tend to compete with the gaming handhelds from Sony and Nintendo. In that regard, the new iPad stomps all over the PS Vita, which has only managed a meager 1.2 million units globally. While the 3DS has sold 15 million units, it has also been out for much longer than either device. Still, the 3DS didn’t exactly have a smooth launch, although that could be attributed more to price than hardware.
It should be interesting to see if any new developers will be attracted to the iOS platform with the success of the new iPad – not to mention the extra processing power it brings to the table. While I’m still happy with my iPad 2, the right gaming title could make me itchy for an upgrade.
According to Ars, the extra processing power does nothing for the experience, but is just there to power the new display. Another thing to consider with your numbers, most of these iPads are being sold to people who already own one. It’s canniballism in terms of market.