Data & Research

Demand for Kindle Fire falls by almost two thirds in US since launch

iPad to dominate for time being

Demand for Kindle Fire falls by almost two thirds in US since launch
Consumer interest in Amazon's Kindle Fire appears to be falling away in the US, with a new study suggesting just 8 percent of consumers in the region plan to buy the device.

Not only does that put the Kindle Fire way behind the market leading iPad – 73 percent declaring an intention to buy Apple's tablet – but it also means demand for the device has fallen by 14 percent since launch back in November 2011.

Kindle comedown

That's according to numbers sourced by ChangeWave Research, which – based on a survey of more than 2,800 consumers – claims Amazon's strength in the tablet market is fast diminishing.



"Note that the Kindle Fire launch back in November was highly successful – and at the time ChangeWave had correctly forecasted it would be the first big double-digit table contender against Apple and would wreck a major blow against other second tier manufacturers," the firm said in its report.

"But by the time of ChangeWave's March 2012 survey, demand for Kindle Fire tumbled."

Not happy

The firm speculates that results from other studies suggesting Kindle Fire owners are less happy with their purchase than their iPad counterparts may be having an impact on prospective customers.

Even more of a worry for Amazon and its Android rivals, however, is the impact a potential 'iPad Mini' could have on their respective businesses.

"At the moment, the greatest competitive threat to the new iPad could well be the iPad Mini – which doesn't exist yet, but even if it ever does, it too will be made by Apple," added VP of research Dr. Paul Carton.

"When it comes to tablets, the ChangeWave survey shows Apple continuing to exert near total control over the market."

[source: ChangeWave Research]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.