Analysis: Apple Widens Tablet Market Gap With iPad 2, But Will Wireless Benefit?

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2011 – Apple’s initial iPad 2 sales and projections for 2011 say while that Apple probably will not face much competition in tablet sales, the competition for wireless data plans for the device are heating up.

Apple sold over 15 million of the original iPad, and brisk resales of used iPads on eBay, Gazelle, and other resale sites indicate that the original model is still quite popular. Analyst Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital Markets sees upgrades from the original iPad comprising only a fifth of iPad 2 over the next 12 months. That means that the remaining 80 percent of iPad 2 purchasers will likely be new to the tablet platform. Abramsky projects Jobs and Company will sell 28 million of its new model touchscreen tablet by the end of the calendar year.