“Taiwan-based touch panel makers General Interface Solution (GIS) and TPK Holding are expected to maintain stable shipments in the first half of 2019 thanks to orders for new iPad series products, according to industry sources,” Siu Han and Steve Shen report for DigiTimes.
“Apple reportedly plans to launch two entry-level tablets in the first half of 2019,” Han and Shen report, “including a fifth-generation iPad mini and another entry-level iPad model, said the sources.”
“Judging from previous shipment records,” Han and Shen report, “GIS is expected to account for over 40% of touch solutions needed for the new iPad devices, while TPK and China-based O-film Technology will share the remaining 60%, the sources estimated.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Last October, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would debut a new 5th-gen. iPad mini with an upgraded processor and a lower-cost display panel at a special media event in spring 2019.
SEE ALSO:
Apple reportedly prepping 5th-gen. iPad mini for early 2019 – December 21, 2018
I’ll buy two new iPad minis the day they’re released. My wife wanted a new one for Christmas but I convinced her to hold out for a bit longer. And I’ll get one for myself. I have an XS Max but still find a Kindle/mini more comfortable for reading on the bus and train.
iPad mini screens crack too easily. I had one in a case that dropped to the carpeted floor and still cracked. A couple years back, but nevertheless…
My iPad Air screen cracked too, although at the hands of my then two year old son who used it when I left it unattended. So I digress 🙂
I let him use my old iPad1 all the time, in a “kids” thick rubber case. But man, that old iPad1 screen is hard and solid as a rock. I recall one of the first things I noticed with my iPad Air is how flimsy and “plastic-ee” the screen felt compared to my iPad1.
A little frivolous but hey its Friday. My wish list for the 9.7″ successor:
1) Stereo speakers in landscape mode. I suppose that means it would have to have quad speakers in order to maintain stereo in portrait mode. I say to hell with portrait mode, I bet anyone who cares about stereo audio is likely using landscape mode more often. Stereo in portrait mode is silly the speakers are so close together!
2) Pro-motion for better refresh rates. I find the iPad Pro’s motion/scrolling in web pages etc. a significant benefit. I know, it will probably only remain on iPad Pros. Just wishing.
3) More RAM, 3GB or 4GB please
4) All-screen would be nice, I think. But keep those rounded edges please! don;t copy the new Pros with sharper edges.
Either a larger screen in current body or smaller body with 9.7″ screen.
The last rumor was a 10″ all-screen device.
5) Entry level model with 64GB please (unlikely ?).
6) Same price points as 6th gen. Please don’t charge more for whatever upgrades it will have.
7) A12 chip. Don’t use the two generation old chip like you did with 6th gen iPads where it had A10 several months after iPhones released with A11. I understand that was probably because iPad Pro’s at the time were not on a version of A11 yet (and never were, they went from A10X–>A12X ). Or maybe A10 cost them a lot less I dunno.
Can’t wait for them to be unveiled.