Apple iPad Sales In China Up 80% Following Trademark Dispute Resolution

Apple has seen sales of its iPad soar following the resolution of a trademark dispute with Chinese company Proview, which had IPAD registered years prior to the release of Apple’s iconic tablet. That’s according to new estimates from IDC analyst Dickie Chan, who said that sales of the iPad in China in Q3 were up to 2.07 million, an 80 percent increase over the previous quarter’s 1.15 million tablets sold in the region.

Chang claims Apple’s settlement with Proview, which sees the trademark change hands to Apple in exchange for $60 million, had a lot to do with iPad sales picking up speed in the region. The iPad launch in China was initially delayed as a result of the trademark dispute, and finally hit store shelves on July 20 shortly after the settlement was reached. Apple’s iPad sales in China currently lead the tablet market by a wide margin, with Lenovo as the next strongest competitor, having shipped only 278,000 tablets in Q3.

The cleared trademark hurdle helped Apple immensely in the three-month period spanning July to September, but there’s even more room to grow going into the fourth quarter. Apple still hasn’t made the latest generation iPad or iPad mini available in China, and while some reports have suggested a December release for that new device, Apple hasn’t yet specified when exactly either of the new iPad lineups will make it to that country.

Apple’s China business continues to grow, reaching $5.7 billion in sales in the company’s fiscal Q4, a 26 percent increase from the same time a year ago. Cook at the time said the iPhone 5 would launch in December, and we’ve recently heard from Chinese carriers that release is still on track. 15 percent of Apple’s overall revenues now come from China, and with iPad sales now growing in the region, that overall share could be on the way up.