Kindle Fire Seen Slowing Some Previously-Planned iPad Purchases

With Amazon's forthcoming Kindle Fire tablet staking out a new position at the bargain end of the tablet market with its $199 price tag, some have wondered how significantly the device will eat into Apple's potential iPad sales.

A new survey from RBC Capital Markets and ChangeWave Research now puts some numbers to that impact, revealing that 26% of those surveyed customers who have either already pre-ordered a Kindle Fire or are "very likely" to purchase one have either delayed or put on indefinite hold previously-planned iPad purchases.

kindle fire impact rbc
The survey also reveals relatively strong overall interest in the Kindle Fire, with 5% of survey respondents registering as either having already pre-ordered or being very likely to purchase the device. That compares with 4% of respondents who had indicated similar intent for the original iPad back in February 2010. The tablet market is of course at very different level of maturity now, however, given that Apple's iPad has sparked consumer interest in the form factor.

For its part, Apple has reportedly indicated that it welcomes the arrival of the Kindle Fire, suggesting that yet another Android-based tablet entrant heavily customized to integrate with Amazon's services will further fragment that platform and drive more customers toward the stability of Apple's iOS.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

John Gruber Says 'Something is Rotten' at Apple

Wednesday March 12, 2025 7:39 pm PDT by
Daring Fireball's John Gruber today shared some strongly-worded comments about Apple's delayed personalized Siri features. Gruber is a well-known Apple pundit who has been writing about the company for more than two decades. In a blog post titled "Something Is Rotten in the State of Cupertino," Gruber said Apple's credibility has been "damaged" by the delay:Keynote by keynote, product by...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Machined Parts Leak Reflects Camera Redesign Rumors

Thursday March 13, 2025 3:07 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to feature a significant design overhaul, and a new image apparently taken on an assembly line for the unreleased devices appears to confirm the biggest rumored change. Render of an iPhone 17 Pro model shared by Jon Prosser The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to adopt a horizontal camera bar reminiscent of Google's Pixel...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
Sad Siri Feature

Kuo: Apple Knows Apple Intelligence is 'Underwhelming' and Won't Drive iPhone Upgrades

Thursday March 13, 2025 9:32 am PDT by
The Apple Intelligence features that Apple introduced with iOS 18 are not pushing people to upgrade their iPhones, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated today. Apple's recent Siri failures are also going to have an impact on 2025 iPhone shipments, which the market is beginning to realize. As early as last July, Kuo said expectations that Apple Intelligence could drive iPhone upgrades were...
Sad Siri Feature

Kuo: Cook Should Personally Address Siri Apple Intelligence Failure

Thursday March 13, 2025 4:02 pm PDT by
Apple made a major misstep with the way that it handled the delay of Apple Intelligence features for Siri, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Announcing the delay through a press statement was a bad decision, and Apple should instead have gone through official channels. Kuo referenced the well-known "Antennagate" PR crisis when the iPhone 4 launched in 2010, and the way that then Apple...

Top Rated Comments

thetexan Avatar
174 months ago
I don't see why the media keeps comparing the Fire to the iPad. They're very different items that do different things. I own an iPad and I'm going to purchase a Fire because they are different.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fazzy Avatar
174 months ago
No matter how much better the iPad is than other tablets, competition is healthy for any Market sector
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Grimace Avatar
174 months ago
What was the N of the survey? If there were only 100 people (per usual with these "surveys") then the whole thing is useless.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
174 months ago
I think it just illustrates that when given a viable option - one where there's a good competing ecosystem - people can make a choice.

As I've maintained - while I love my iPad - many people don't want to shell out 499+ when all they really want is a media consumption device and some email/web surfing. Yes - UI is great on the iPad - but not everyone wants to spend the extra money when (now) there's a choice and one backed by an ecosystem of books, music, video and apps.

I see these stats as obvious. I think the Kindle Fire sells well to those who had no plans on buying an iPad but also those that had no viable choice before Amazon entered the game.

The Nook tablet has better specs - but I still think that they won't do as well as the Fire because B&N doesn't have the same ecosystem.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
supersalo Avatar
174 months ago
And I have a feeling those that are buying a Fire were never going to buy an iPad in the first place.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
174 months ago
LMFAO. You must be joking.

This is the kind of nonsense you hear from someone who really can't/doesn't/won't understand the whole of the Apple ecosystem. Amazon has nothing to compare to. They have a website, where you can buy em pee threez. Big deal.
I don't think you understand what an "ecosystem" is. Or you do, but you think only Apple has one. Hell, when some people say "Apple Ecosystem", I imagine their eyes glaze over, and they get one of those thousand yard stares that creep everyone out.

I'm already thinking about putting it on my list of overly used big words and phrases people throw around on the internet all the time so they look like they know what they're talking about. It'll be there alongside "innovative" and "relevant".

So you can no longer say stuff like "the Apple Ecosystem is innovative because it collaborates to the objectives of my principals, and is relevant to my chosen preliminary injunction of patent infringements you obviously don't understand. It Just Works. You mad, bro?".

Okay, just to clarify, Amazon and Apple are quite similar in alot of ways. They both host streaming movies, music, books, ect. The only real difference is that Apple uses standalone software, while Amazon hosts their services via a webpage. So no, it's not "just a webpage where you can buy em pee threez". Only an idiot would say something like that, let alone think it.

You're not an idiot...are you?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)