In a note to clients — as reported by “AppleInsider” (http://www.appleinsider.com) — Barclays Equity Research forecasts that the iPad will carry a big chunk of Apple sales over the next two quarters while the company prepares to launch a next-generation handset and new laptops.

The investment bank left its Apple stock price target unchanged at US$750, giving the stock an overweight rating due to strong iPad and iPhone demand, Mac gains and international expansion. Barclays estimates see Apple shipping 14.2 million iPad units in the second quarter of the 2012 calendar year; this represents quarter-on-quarter growth of 20%.