Apple Expected to Ship 10 Times More Tablets than Google in 2013

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) endured some criticism last month after rumors surfaced that the company may ship 12 percent fewer iPads than previously anticipated.

Instead of shipping 60 million full-size iPads and 40 million iPad Mini units, the company is now rumored to ship 55 million iPad Mini units and just 33 million full-size iPads. The shipment adjustment came as millions of consumers were expected to replace or bypass full-size tablets for the iPad Mini.

While this news may have been troubling to some, Apple still stands to set a new personal and industry-wide record in 2013. By shipping a total of 88 million iPads, Apple would deliver more tablets to retail than any other manufacturer. In doing so, it would also set a new internal record.

Comparatively, Apple sold 22.9 million iPads during the fiscal 2013 first quarter, which accounted for the fall 2012 sales period. The company sold an additional 14 million in the fiscal 2012 fourth quarter, 17 million in the third quarter and 11.8 million in the second quarter.

All told, Apple sold 65.7 million tablets last year.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) on the other hand, reportedly sold a maximum of one million tablets per month. This figure came from an executive at Asus, which manufactures the Nexus 7. It is not yet known how many units the Nexus 10 (which is manufactured by Samsung) may have sold.

If Google can achieve and maintain a similar sales level in 2013, it would be on track to sell 12 million units this year.

However, according to DigiTimes, Google may only ship eight million Nexus 7 units in 2013.

Without any details surrounding the next-generation Nexus 10, it is difficult to measure the total number of tablets Google might sell. If it tops out at eight million, Apple will have the chance to sell more than 10 times as many units.

Even if Google sold 20 million tablets and Apple topped out at 60 million, the Mac maker would still dwarf the competition by selling three times as many tablets.

Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at 248-636-1322 or louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ