With rumors running rampant about Apple's forthcoming iPad 3 launch, many consumers plan to buy one of the coveted tablets, including those who already own a Kindle Fire, according to a new survey from deal aggregation Web site TechBargains.com.
In the online survey of 1,305 users, 48 percent said they will Apple's next-gen tablet, which is expected to be unveiled March 7. Of those who said they would purchase one of the devices, 62 percent said they just like to buy the newest products while 58 percent said they want to upgrade their current tablet.
Moreover, more than half of respondents who currently own Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet plan to buy an iPad 3, according to TechBargains' survey. Yung Trang, president and editor-in-chief of TechBargains.com, said this finding could indicate that Kindle Fire users are dissatisfied with their tablet — or it could just mean most consumers believe "iPad's user experience remains unparalleled."
"When it comes to tablets, Apple's iPad will continue to remain the leader" Trang said in a statement. "But what's very interesting is that Kindle Fire was released just three months ago and yet more than half of Fire owners already know that they will, in fact, buy the iPad 3."
In December, Apple CEO Tim Cook and chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer suggested that the Kindle Fire could help iPad sales. The low-priced options might help introduce consumers to the tablet market, prompting them to eventually upgrade to more feature-rich devices like the iPad, the execs told JP Morgan.
And, 66 percent of those who own an original iPad, along with 56 percent of iPad 2 owners plan to buy the next iteration of the tablet, the survey found.
Ranking at the top of the list of features respondents would like to see in the iPad 3 are a quad-core processor, better speakers, a USB port, and memory card, according to the survey. More than 80 percent of respondents said they want each of those features. Others hoped the device would have a less reflective screen, would come equipped with Siri, as well as have support for Thunderbolt and multiple user accounts.
The anticipated high cost of the device was cited as the main factor holding 16 percent of respondents back from buying an iPad 3, and the reason why 35 percent remain undecided. For more on TechBargains.com's survey, see the infographic below.
Meanwhile, Apple is expected to retain its lead in the tablet market this year, earning 62 percent market share and selling 59 million iPads, according to a report released Tuesday from market intelligence firm TrendForce. But Apple's lead is expected to dwindle from 66 percent last year and 87 percent in 2010, TrendForce estimated.
For more, see PCMag's full reviews of the iPad 2 and Kindle Fire.
