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Apple's iPad Air more popular than iPad Mini in December

That's the word from CIRP, which says that the iPad Air accounted for 41 percent of all US iPad sales. The iPad 2 hung on with 5 percent share.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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From left: The original iPad Mini, iPad Air, and fourth-generation iPad.
From left: The original iPad Mini, iPad Air, and fourth-generation iPad. Josh Miller/CNET

Apple's iPad Air has proven popular among shoppers, according to a recent study.

The iPad Air notched 41 percent of all iPad sales in the US in the quarter ended December, according to data released on Monday by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). That's down slightly from the 43 percent share the iPad with Retina scored in December 2012.

Despite that slight decline, the iPad Air, which comes with a 9.7-inch screen and thin form factor, easily outpaced the iPad Mini's 25 percent share and the iPad Mini with Retina's 16 percent share. Combined, however, the iPad Mini line was able to match the iPad Air in US market share

Although it's the elder statesman in the iPad line, the iPad 2 has hung tough, according to CIRP. That device was able to nab 5 percent of Apple's iPad sales in the quarter, down from the 27 percent share it had in December 2012.

CIRP's data is based on a survey of 500 US Apple customers. The company did not provide number of unit sales in its report.