Following the announcement of the iPad Mini, an analyst has predicted that Apple will experience supply issues for the tablet. NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim suggests that Samsung won't be supplying displays for the iPad Mini. Previous reports suggested that the Korean conglomerate decided to end its ties with Apple, but the former denied that is the case.
If Samsung has refused to supply displays to Apple for the revised tablet, two suppliers are left in the form of LGD and AUO.
"The problem is that AUO is a new supplier, and they're not able to get to the volumes that Apple needs. So, essentially, there's just one supplier," Shim stressed. "AUO is having yield issues with the 7.9" panel...AUO shipped just over 100,000 units. The production plan is reach 400,000 units in October, 800,000 units November and 1 million in December."
According to Shim, LG Display shipped a total of 300,000 panels in September and it plans to ship one million in October and then three million in December.
As for the iPad Mini's $329 price tag, Shim said: "The new low price point is expected to appeal to a wider audience and drive up demand. However, panel supply chain indications point to an even more than typical tightness in the market for the iPad Mini."
"Samsung and Apple appear to be winding down their relationship most likely due to the legal conflicts the two have been embroiled in recently," he added.
Alongside the iPad Mini, of which Apple is said to be ordering 10 million units for the fourth quarter, the firm also announced a fourth-generation iPad only a little over six months after its predecessor was released.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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friskiest Uhmm,.. $330 for an iPad mini is not a not a new low price point at all,. considering that you could get better products like the Nexus and Kindle at $100 less.Reply -
the1kingbob I am confused by your article. Samsung yesterday stated they have not denied providing panels for Apple, you have even linked that article. So how is Samsung involved? It is like your first paragraph is reality and the following are speculation. Maybe Apple chose to go with another vendor, that has nothing to do with Samsung. I know this might blow some peoples mind, but Samsung isn't going to simply deny selling stuff. If Apple approached Samsung with a number that was not possible then maybe they didn't strike a deal, but this idea that Samsung won't do business with Apple is just foolish.Reply
If Apple chose to go with a vendor that can't fulfill their orders, as your implying in your speculation, then that is just another mistake to a growing list Apple has made in the last year. -
damianrobertjones I'm so glad that Samsung, Acer, Lenovo, Asus, Samsung themselves and a few other oem's won't have issues getting parts for their worldwide launch of their Windows 8 tablets.Reply
Apple seems to OWN the media these days -
nieur does TOM's know tech world outside of apple?Reply
more than half of the news are apple related -
LightningStryk17 bllueEveryone should stop supplying Apple and watch it die slowlyReply
Why would any company do that? Apple is a lot of these component makers biggest customer. why would you stop selling to your biggest customer for no reason? Have you ever ran or even worked at a company before? The legal battles mean nothing to these giant companies, they are just other revenue streams, they aren't taking this suing thing personally. -
fuzzion If Apple stopped bullying everyone with such obvious non innovative patents I may, and I 'may' have bought an iPad mini.Reply -
murzar Either Apple were stupid when they went ahead with the lawsuit or they expected their components to ship from heaven.Reply