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“LG Display is estimated to land orders for 35 million iPad panels in 2011, and Samsung and Chimei Innolux, who is scheduled to join Apple’s iPad supply chain in the first quarter of 2011, will each receive orders for 15 million units,” Kuo and Yu report. “Based on these estimates, iPad panel shipments (including first and second generation models) will reach 65 million units in 2011, which is significantly higher than market estimates of 45-48 million units for the year.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Lynn W.” for the heads up.]
From the article: “… it may also mean that Apple is overbooking panel capacity.”
It means to me that AAPL may also be trying to soak up the available capacity in a blocking move against other tablet makers.
Hahahahaha…we’ve got Apple right where we want them, now. Wait until our newest slates come out. I like our strategy, I like it a lot.
Remember that survey that MDN posted earlier this year asking readers how many iPads they thought Apple would sell in 2010? I think the highest number was 10 million. I remember that’s the number I put my money on. 65 million in year two? Truly incredible.
No way in the f’n world Apple is going to sell 65 million in year two. No f*n way.
If true BLN will lose his last one. His new username here will be “B Missing N”. lol
With the amount of competition coming Apple can’t afford to under supply and give them an opening.
Will probably end up being 13+ million sold in 2010. I think digitaltraveller is right – Apple is pulling the same move they did with flash storage.
@Doubting Ron
This is a rumor, not a figure released by Apple. It does seem incredible, but the last decade has shown that it is all too easy to underestimate Apple. It is worth noting that China, alone, could consume tens of millions of iPads just as a starter.
MDN should start a poll on predicted worldwide iPad sales in 2011. In the meantime, I would be willing to lay down some cash against your doubt that Apple will exceed 65M iPad sales in calendar year 2011. Given your absolute certainty, it would be easy money for you…
everyone’s forgetting Apple is selling everything that they make. 2010 sales figures have nothing to do with demand. whatever units they’ve sold is just how many they managed to make.
however high these projections are, I bet Apple will never have to rent storage to warehouse unsold units. they’ll sell everything because demand is astronomical.
that or these projections are not Apple’s, more of pundits moving the goal posts again so they can laugh when they see Apple fail to meet their constantly changing predictions.
Maybe they’re playing some kind of a game where if the suppliers can fill the whole order, apple will pay x per panel. If they can’t, apple pays less than that. Apple just needs to place a huge order, they get a deal, and they lock up the market, as others have suggested. Anyone remember the movie Gung Ho?
Perhaps its simply that Apple is getting the price breaks that they are after in the amounts contracted for. Plus they will have stock on hand for later production.
Cheers!
Apple runs the tightest, leanest inventory in the business-fact. (1-2 weeks)
There’s no way they would buy more than they know they can sell or knowingly use.
People, don’t forget that iPad sales figures for 2010 are just 8 months, I course a new product ramp up (the 3G model was delayed 1 month), and he iPad was only for sale in the U.S. Initially, and Apple still couldn’t come close to meeting demand. Even the international roll-out was delayed due to supply problems.
Now the iPad is rolling out internationally and Apple is catching up with demand. No reason why it couldn’t sell 65 mil worldwide with production to match demand.
Apple isn’t buying displays to stop other people from building tablets. Apple is buying displays because it expects to sell that many iPads.
Yes Apple runs the tightest inventory, gets price breaks for those large orders, price breaks for paying cash (that’s part of why they have so much on hand), etc.
I’ll also bet that the contracts allow Apple to take delivery of less than they contracted for. However, the panel manufacturer’s can’t sell them to Apple’s competitors until after Apple doesn’t take delivery. The competitors thus have an unreliable supply from these manufacturers. That would include Samsung who both manufacturers the panels and produces competing tablets.
Apple doesn’t need to buy displays to stop other manufacturers selling tablets. All Apple needs to do is to continue producing tablets of the quality of the iPad, with that battery life and at the competitive price point that they have opted for. Others simply can’t match the balance of features that Apple offer. Rivals waste money and lose face when they try, just as they did with the much less complex iPod.
Clearly many of those 65 million displays will be destined for iPad II, which will doubtless raise the bar even higher.
I think we are on the verge of “One more thing”.
iPad prices will drop $200 effectively eliminating all of the competition. Look at the extreme low price of an air for what it is. If they can get that aggressive on that laptop they sure can with the iPad. It will be a little like the price drop for the original iPhone to the 3G.
Just because these panels COULD be used in iPads doesn’t mean they WILL. I’d suggest that the next generation of small Mac laptops could use the same touch screens as the iPad.