Google has been coy as to not share just how its Nexus 7 has been performing since launching in July, but Asus, the manufacturer for Google’s new 7-inch tablet, has not been as modest. The Taiwanese Manufacturer hasn’t shared any specific numbers, but has been releasing overall numbers for some time now, but that’s good enough for mobile analyst Benedict Evans. Evans suggests, based on his own estimates, that the grand number of Nexus 7s sold is somewhere between 4.5 million and 4.8 million.
The report from Evans estimates performance on the Nexus 7 by looking at the sales numbers and other manufacturing statistics Asus has released already and comparing it before and after the Nexus 7’s launch. Once you do all the math, Evans says that his best guess is “total Nexus 7 sales of 4.5 million to 4.6 million, and no more than 4.8 million.” To add, Nexus 7 sales have been creeping up to the 1 million per month mark, helping boost sales in recent months as well. These numbers aren’t bad compared to other Android tablets, but far from as impressive as Apple’s iPad Mini. As a result this is certainly good performance for Google, but not exactly what they’ve been hoping for either.
Unfortunately, it looks like this will be the best data we can get on Nexus 7 performance until either the Asus shareholders meeting in early March, or when Google owns up and spills the beans itself. Regardless, it’s still important to note the Nexus 7 is gradually seeing higher sales numbers, and continues to be a favorite among tablet buyers. However, while this is some impressive performance a single tablet that’s just nine months old, it doesn’t change the fact that Apple has sold 10 million iPad Minis since November. As much as Google may want to celebrate some commendable [performance, it’s got a lot of work to do to stay strong in the world of 7-inch tablets, especially given how well Apple’s doing, and how soon it will be before Acer and others start selling similar tablets.
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