There are just some things we don’t know about e-Readers, and most of what we don’t know about eReaders are related to sales. What, really, is the market’s total size? How many eReaders have been sold in all, and what is the average volume of eReaders shipped each month? What is the market share of each particular brand/model?
In discussing the sales estimate of eReaders around the world below, we take mostly the figures reported or estimated by DigiTimes, particularly because the news company actually talks to Asia’s IT manufacturers; it has the access to information. We also take official statements of eReader companies regarding their sales.
By eReaders, we are only including dedicated eReading devices such as the Kindle and Sony Touch. Not included in the figures are tablets or multi-purpose devices and smartphones with built-in eReader such as the iPad or iPhone.
eReader Sales Estimate: A Timeline
2008: Even up to now, we are still in dark about the actual sales volume of eReaders around the world in 2008. DigiTimes estimate 700,000 eReaders were shipped in 2008. Some analysts doubt this figure.
2009: According to DigiTimes, a total of 3.82 eReaders were sold globally last year: 380 thousand in Q1; 590 thousand in Q2; 1.29 million in Q3; and 1.62 million in Q4.
2010: The news agency claims 2.78 million units have been sold as of Quarter 2, with 1.43 million units sold in Q1 and 1.35 million in Q2. Forrester Research estimates that there will be 6 million eReaders shipped this year. PVI eInk is more optimistic, seeing up to 11 million sold by the time the year ends.
For 2010, here is the breakdown of market share per DigiTimes estimate:
Amazon – 43.3%
Nook – 16.3%
Sony – 13.8%
Other eReaders – 26.6%
Now let’s take a look at sales estimate of the Big 3 eReaders from 2008 to Q2 2010.
Amazon Kindle
2008: About 500,000 Kindle 1 units are estimated to have been sold.
2009: DigiTimes estimates that Amazon has 63.4% market share of the 3.82 million eReaders sold in 2009. That translates to 2.42 million Kindles shipped in 2010, with about 1.62 million units sold in Q4 alone. In late January 2010, Amazon released a statement confirming that “millions of Kindles” had been sold.
2010: Amazon claims their sales have tripled year through since they cut the price of the Kindle 2 to $189. However, DigiTimes claims that the Nook had surpassed Kindle sales in both Q1 and Q2. In Q2, the Kindle had 27% market share – that’s 364,500 units sold.
Barnes & Noble
2009: According to B&N customer service, the company shipped 400,000 Nooks within the week of its availability. The number probably increased to half a million to 600,000 by the end of the December.
2010: DigiTimes claims that the Nook has outsold the Kindle in Q1, taking up 53% market share of the 1.43 million eReaders shipped. That’s 757, 900 Nooks to be exact. In Q2, it had 33% share. That translates to 445,500 Nooks sold.
Sony Readers
2008: According to Sony, the company was able to ship 300,000 eReaders as of December 5.
2009: Sony said 400,000 eReaders were sold through March 2009. Perhaps the number rose to 600,000 to about a million by the end of the year.
2010: DigiTimes estimates Sony has sold 1.28 million units so far.
It is estimated that the US takes 70% – 80% of eReader sales. However, analysts forecast that China will be the next big market of eReaders. DisplaySearch, a China-based research firm, predicts the country will make up 20% of the market in 2010, eventually overtaking US as the biggest market of eReaders by 2010. For now, Asia represents the second biggest eReader market followed by Europe.
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