The iPad is the second most important source of Apple income, following the iPhone with 20% of overall company sales. However a number of Apple analysts predict iPad sales have hit a wall and will soon go in decline.
According to Fortune 34 Apple analysts (21 Wall Street professionals and 13 amateurs) expect iPad sales declines of at least -0.7% Y-o-Y in the Q2 2014 Apple results report.
The overall consensus for Q2 2014 iPad sales sands at 19.3-19.4 million units. Some analysts are more optimistic (Asymco predicts sales of 21.8m with 12% Y-o-Y growth), while others are pessimistic (Braeburn declares sales of 15m, a -23% Y-o-Y decline).
But why would iPad sales flatten out in the first place? Any number of reasons are offered, from competition by "good enough" lower-cost tablets, the lack of an iPhone-style upgrade cycle and the massive scale of early shipments causing too much hype for the iPad's future.
We will know how the actual iPad situation really is once Apple releases its Q2 2014 earnings report come 23 April.
