Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had a good chunk of its iPads sold in the post-launch weeks. The success was expected, but the recent patent wars between Samsung, HTC, Google, and Apple have made it even more important to have sole rights to the design, manufacturing, and apparatus of these devices. The tech mogul had filed requests with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Today the patent office granted copyright of 29 distinct patents, including one attributed to the design of its first iPad. This protects the method used to make the Apple logo glow on its devices, method for adjustment in audio outputs, apparatus used in hardware cooling, methods for photo management, steps used for photo editing and emailing photos, and copyright of the crack resistant glass used in Apple’s devices.
Some of the outstanding patents that are still awaiting approval from the Patent and Trademark Office are related to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s low latency synchronizer circuit, methods used for assessing temperatures, method used for dynamic power control, heads-up display etc.
The patent no. D670,286 refers to the look of the iPad and credits Steve Jobs, Jonathan Ive, and various other people involved in the product’s creation. Compared to other players, like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Apple’s share of patents is small but growing rapidly. Lately, repercussions from copyright infringement and patent violations have hurt Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s share in the smartphone and tablet market.
Coming to the popularity of iPad, the latest device released by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The company reported the sale of 3 million units of iPad 4 and iPad mini over the launch weekend. Similar numbers were sold when iPad 3 was released in March 2012. Bank of America Merrill Lynch observes that current indicators point towards Apple successfully achieving the 7-10 million production mark for iPad mini in Q4 of CY2012. BAML forecasts sale of 22.5 million units of iPad, including 8 million units of iPad mini, by the end of 2012. The sales of iPads are also expected to receive a boost from the inclusion of new models with the 4G-LTE technology, which isa faster wireless network. This time, the range of iPad devices was launched in 34 countries and the production rollout is faster than it was for previous models. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has become increasingly efficient in the production and distribution of iDevices, as witnessed in the rollout cycle of iPhone 5 earlier. iPads are off to a solid start and the sales are expected to gain further momentum in the upcoming quarters.
