“Volume production of a new-generation 9.7-inch iPad will begin in July-August with shipments in the third quarter estimated at five million units. Meanwhile, a second-generation iPad mini may see its volume production postponed from September to November, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers,” Siu Han and Joseph Tsai report for DigiTimes. “The next-generation 9.7-inch iPad is expected to adopt a thin-film-type touch panel solution to reduce its weight by 20-30% and will adopt a slim bezel design to increase the display area.”
“As for the second-generation iPad mini, some market watchers believe the delay is because 9.7-inch iPad sales were seriously impacted by iPad mini in 2012, and so to avoid the situation from happening again, Apple has turned its product focus for 2013 to the new 9.7-inch iPad,” Han and Tsai report. “However, some market watchers believe the delay is due to the supply chain being unable to meet the mass-production schedule.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: DigiTimes. “Supply chain” sources. Take this with many grains of salt.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” and “Jax44” for the heads up.]
Is DigiTimes ever correct?
They frequently get the date correct on each publication.
If we’re to believe these stories there are people at these suppliers who spend all day leaking information about their clients to hack writers.
Wow! New iPads coming. Who would’ve thought that?
SCS Inc. is the leading innovator in supply chain leaks. SCS ( Supply Chain Sources) has been in business since 2007, incorporating on the day the first iPhone was introduced.
What I don’t understand is the breathless anticipation of the next tweak to the iPad. Nobody is going to care because it won’t actually be different from the current iPads. Wall Street will notice and see it as confirmation of a company in the doldrums under the current CEO and then the price of AAPL will reflect that reality. My fear is that it will serve as a total disappointment to those holding out for something WOW and when it doesn’t come, they will finally give up and AAPL will head into the $200 range.