iOS devices still selling by the millions, though iPad sales are slowing

Apple's ever-popular iOS devices are still flying off store shelves, though in its recent fourth quarter earnings report, Apple revealed that iPad sales aren't growing quite as fast as they used to. During this most recent quarter, the company sold 14 million iPads, up from 11.12 million units during this time last year. That 25.9 percent sales increase, however, pales in comparison to the 166 percent increase the iPad saw in 2011, meaning the platform's growth has leveled off sharply over the past 12 months. Of course, since the iPad is a relatively new product, it's only natural for the device's sales to stabilize as it gets further into its lifespan. But even with this in mind, Apple's recent sales numbers fell a bit short of expectations, as analysts expected the company to sell at least 15.55 million units. iPad sales will certainly pick up in the next few months, however, since Apple just announced a fourth generation model alongside the brand new iPad mini. Things looked a bit better for the iPhone this quarter, as that device sold some 26.9 million units, up from 17.07 million units year over year. iPhone sales saw a particularly big increase thanks to the comparatively early release of the iPhone 5 in September. In 2011, Apple did not release the iPhone 4S until October, which falls under the following quarter.