Global iPad sales soar past two million, Can Apple keep the buzz alive?

June 1, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

In an official press release published yesterday, Apple Inc (AAPL) reported that sales of its latest tablet computing device have officially surpassed the two million mark. The sales figures become even more impressive in light of the fact that the device had been on the market for less than sixty days.

While U.S. sales are still strong, the official launch of the iPad in select countries around the globe hasn’t hurt Apple’s ability to maintain the product as a hot commodity. It was only last week that consumers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom first began to see them on the shelves of authorized Apple retail partners. Preorder sales of the iPad in the countries were strong, as well, since many simply couldn’t conceive waiting even a moment longer to own the device, themselves.

In July, residents of another nine countries will begin to receive their newest gadget fix. Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore are all scheduled to launch sales via approved Apple partners and their respective, online Apple Stores. Pricing details for each country have yet to be finalized, but, if sales in the U.S., Canada, England, and other countries are any indicator, price is often a minor consideration when it comes to hardcore Apple fans.

A good indicator of the initial and continued demand both in and outside of the U.S. can be seen on the popular auction site, eBay. On any given day, there are thousands of WiFi and 3G models ranging in price from $600 to $1,000+. For many would-be iPad owners outside of the U.S., eBay and similar sites have been the only available avenue to purchase that which the technology they so desperately covet.

For its part, Apple credits the ease of use, portability and versatility of the iPad as a few of the reasons the device has generated and sustained one of the most successful product launches seen since the debut of the first generation iPhone in 2007. According to CEO Steve Jobs, “Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do.”

With the iPad rollout to additional countries around the world in full swing, the buzz isn’t likely to diminish anytime soon. With the widely speculated debut of the iPhone 4G (or HD) expected in less than a week, at Apple’s Worlwide Developer Conference (WWDC), the buzz is only likely to increase even more. Additionally, once the long-awaited 3GS and 4G supported operating system update, iPhone OS 4.0, debuts it is also very likely that new features like multitasking will begin to become highly anticipated by iPad owners as part of the device’s first update, which is slated for September 2010.

With the phenomenal success of their impressive product line, it is no wonder that, as of last week, Apple finally, officially surpassed Microsoft as the world’s most valuable technology company. In a tech world that changes with each passing day, the only thing that is certain right now is that the geniuses over at Cupertino are hard at work figuring out how they can keep Apple on top for many years to come.