iPad Pro Sales In China Lag Way Behind Apple Inc. iPad Air 2 And iPad Mini 4 Launches

The iPad Pro isn’t doing so hot in Apple’s most important market. Cupertino's most expensive iPad has only seen 49,000 activations in China in the four weeks it's been on sale there, according to metrics gathered by China-based analytics firm TalkingData.

By comparison, those numbers lag behind the iPad Mini 4 which saw 92,500 units sold in its first four weeks in China and way behind the iPad Air 2 which saw sales of 557,500 units during a similar length launch period. Part of the reason for the sales disparity is the iPad Pro’s higher starting price compared to the older model iPads -- 5,888 Yuan ($908), according to Taiwan-based DigiTimes. The iPad Air 2’s base price in China comes in about $350 less at 3588 Yuan ($554). Overall, Apple is forecasted to sell between 2.4 and 2.6 million iPad Pros during the holiday quarter, according to a research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, obtained by Apple Insider.

Apple is hoping the iPad Pro will start softening the blow of its global iPad sales, which have fallen year-over-year for six consecutive quarters. One area it could tap to boost sales of its flagging tablet is its enterprise business, which grew 40 percent to $25 billion in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted in a conference call in October. Part of that drive has been in partnership with IBM, which reached a milestone of over 100 iOS enterprise apps for customers across 14 industries and 65 professions, such as flight attendants, nurses and retail buyers.

"The transition to detachable tablets also ushers in two other key trends: the growth of Windows and a turnaround for Apple's iPad device line," Jitesh Ubrani , IDC senior research analyst, said in a press statement. "Though early reviews for the iPad Pro have been mixed, we believe the Pro to be the only reason for Apple to gain tablet market share in the coming years as they target select enterprise and prosumer audiences" Apple first announced the iPad Pro in September alongside its iPhone 6S and the revamped Apple TV streaming box, followed by sales in November.

China isn’t Apple’s largest market just yet, but it is one of the fastest growing ones for the iPad maker, with revenue of $58.7 billion in Apple’s 2015 fiscal year ended Sept. 26, up 84 percent from the year prior, according to company filings.