Gloom, Doom Loom for Motorola Xoom?
When it debuted in February, Motorola’s Xoom was widely described as the first comparable competitor to Apple’s iPad. And while it may be that, it’s not proving much of a rival in the market.
Deutsche Bank estimates Motorola Mobility has sold just 100,000 Xoom tablets to date. And while that’s in line with its estimates of 50,000 units in the company’s first quarter and 150,000 in its second, it’s a hell of a long way off from what the iPad’s doing these days, and nowhere close to the sales numbers it posted when it first launched. Apple is believed to have sold 300,000 iPads on its first day at market.
Over at RBC Capital Markets, analyst Mark Sue describes Xoom sales as “slow”–so slow, in fact, that he lopped 25 percent off his current quarter forecast, dropping it to 300,000 units.
And at Pacific Crest, James Faucette says sales of the Xoom are “well below forecast.” Seems the debut of the iPad 2 immediately after the Xoom’s official launch knocked the legs out from under the device. Said Faucette, “Based on our checks, we believe overall sell-through trends for the Xoom…have been disappointing.”
These new reports underscore earlier concerns that Xoom was having trouble gaining traction in the market. Back in March, Jeffries cut its price target on Motorola Mobility largely because of the Xoom. “Xoom sales have been underwhelming,” it said. “While marketing has just started, we believe MMI will likely have to cut production if it already has not done so.”
Looks like Xoom may end up being the new Zune. That said, as Charles Arthur notes over at The Guardian, at least the Xoom is actually selling.
[Image Credit: David Lyle/Wooster Collective]
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