Suppliers see 'frustrating' yields building Apple's 'iPad mini,' supply constraints expected

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  • Reply 41 of 78

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by WisdomSeed View Post


    what exactly does 'frustrating yeilds' mean? Sounds like some BS corporate speak for 'we ain't going to have enough'. If the yeilds get more frustrated, do they turn angry or do they sit their and cry?





    Good point. It might be frustratingly high yield.

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  • Reply 42 of 78
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I'm thinking the back is extruded from a sheet of aluminum. It will be very light. The inside reinforcement truss work might actually be plastic and glued in place. In either case aluminum or plastic the case is not contributing much to the overall weight. In the example of the iPad 3, it is the laminated glass screen and the battery that are the heavy components.



     


    I'm totally not sure about any aspect of the device anymore although whatever process they are using it seems overly complex to me.  It also seems like a rushed product with a short development cycle and it seems to me that several changes of direction have occurred during that short run. 


     


    It's really easy to play armchair quarterback with this stuff though and we usually don't really know half of what we think we know, so ... who knows?  :)


     


    At this point I'm just going to wait and see.  Shouldn't be long now.  

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  • Reply 42 of 78

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    I'm thinking the back is extruded from a sheet of aluminum. It will be very light. The inside reinforcement truss work might actually be plastic and glued in place. In either case aluminum or plastic the case is not contributing much to the overall weight. In the example of the iPad 3, it is the laminated glass screen and the battery that are the heavy components.



     


    I don't quite agree.


     


    Extrusion is a process for parts with a uniform cross section along its length. I am not clear on how this would be compatible with the back of this device.


     


    Gorilla glass is slightly lower in density than aluminum. We can surmise that on the iPad, the front glass and the aluminum back have roughly the same area. The glass is 1 mm thick. The aluminum back would have to be much thinner to contribute much less weight than the glass.

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  • Reply 44 of 78
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,284member


    In-cell has a lot more to its production than an ordinary IPS--many steps to reduce yield.


    Hopefully all the extra effort is worth it, if the display isn't retina.


    I suppose we'll be blown away by the light weight, as with the iPhone 5.


    Speaking of the iPhone 5, part of me wishes it had been made a tad thicker and heavier, to provide for a 50-100% larger battery that would have blown away the competition.

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  • Reply 45 of 78
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    mstone wrote: »
    I'm thinking the back is extruded from a sheet of aluminum. It will be very light. The inside reinforcement truss work might actually be plastic and glued in place.

    It's not extruded - the shape is all wrong for that. Extruded parts are things like tubes or similar components that have a consistent cross section (think tubes or spaghetti or many other pasta shapes).

    If it's aluminum, it's probably stamped from sheet. If it's plastic, it could be stamped, but would more likely be molded. It could also be machined.
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  • Reply 46 of 78
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 1984 View Post


    iPad


    iPad with Retina Display


     


    iPad mini


    iPad mini with Retina Display


     


    Wishful thinking?

     

    I still think it's going to simply be iPad, pick your size. (Just like iMac, pick your size, MacBook Air, pick your size, etc). The iPad 2 will be discontinued.

    If the iPad 2 was going to be an ongoing product, why can you only buy them directly from Apple (other than a few suppliers who still have the the "old" iPad 2 in stock and sell them above retail price), and why are they little more than a footnote on the iPad page on Apple's online store? I think they kept the iPad 2 as a temporary measure until the smaller sized iPad was ready.
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  • Reply 47 of 78
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    gazoobee wrote: »
    I'm totally not sure about any aspect of the device anymore although whatever process they are using it seems overly complex to me.  It also seems like a rushed product with a short development cycle and it seems to me that several changes of direction have occurred during that short run. 

    It's really easy to play armchair quarterback with this stuff though and we usually don't really know half of what we think we know, so ... who knows?  :)

    At this point I'm just going to wait and see.  Shouldn't be long now.  
    Well Jony Ive said the iPhone 5 was the most complex and ambitious manufacturing process Apple has ever done. I'm hoping none of this comes back to bite them. Complex and needing to kick out tens of millions of devices doesn't seem to go together very well.
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  • Reply 48 of 78
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by charlituna View Post



    This is more like

    'so I'm talking bullshit and I don't want anyone to figure that out so I'm going to make up fake supplier issues'

    He's making it sound like they haven't figured out how to set up their lines etc for this size device. But that would have been worked out ages ago when they prototyped the units. Especially if it was meant to be out last month

     

    Or even more simply, "I predicted they would come out in Septmeber. I was wrong. I blew it. But to cover up my bad analysis I'm going to make up a ficticious supply chain issue, or exaggerate a minor one, in order to explain why I was wrong. No really, I am a good analyst. I was only wrong because Apple screwed up their ramp up of the production lines. It's all their fault. Really. Trust me (this time)!"
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  • Reply 49 of 78
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    isheldon wrote: »
    Not really.
    iPad mini with E-Ink - then I'd get excited.
    Something to read in direct sunlight with one hand and running off a looooong charge.
    Like a high tech Kindle on iOS.

    They say that even the stupidest person can have something of value to teach you but I'm highly starting to doubt the validity of that statement...

    To ignore, or not to ignore.

    That is the question.
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  • Reply 50 of 78
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post



    It's not extruded - the shape is all wrong for that. Extruded parts are things like tubes or similar components that have a consistent cross section (think tubes or spaghetti or many other pasta shapes).



    If it's aluminum, it's probably stamped from sheet. If it's plastic, it could be stamped, but would more likely be molded. It could also be machined.


    Sure I said stamped in a previous thread but since I'm not a machinist I don't have the terminology down. I was thinking sort of like a soda can is struck from a wafer shaped slug. Something similar except with a sheet of aluminum. I imagine that process would be really inexpensive compared to machining it from a solid piece of stock. Clearly the important part of the process is to make the corners nice and smooth not wrinkled or crimped like standard stamping might cause.

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  • Reply 51 of 78
    td912td912 Posts: 26member


    I still think this "iPad mini" rumor is just the new iPod touch.


     


    Instead of being released immediately, the 5th gen iPod touch is supposed to finally be released "in October," which is the same time this supposed iPad mini was pushed back to.


    The 5th gen iPod touch is sharing the same IPS LCD panel as the iPhone. Because there is a high demand for the iPhone, there might not be enough panels for the iPod, especially with suppliers like Sharp having issues.


    The 5th gen iPod touch has multiple colors, all of them now with anodized aluminum instead of stainless steel backs, which is also having yield issues. (see iPhone 5 scratching)


    The 5th gen iPod touch is selling at $299, the same price point as this "iPad mini"

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  • Reply 52 of 78
    peteopeteo Posts: 402member
    InCell might make sense for the iPad mini since it is cheaper to make because you do not need the additional layer of glass and touch components. So yields might be down if they are trying to do a lower res screen with the new incell tech.
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  • Reply 53 of 78
    peteopeteo Posts: 402member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TD912 View Post


    I still think this "iPad mini" rumor is just the new iPod touch.


     


    Instead of being released immediately, the 5th gen iPod touch is supposed to finally be released "in October," which is the same time this supposed iPad mini was pushed back to.


    The 5th gen iPod touch is sharing the same IPS LCD panel as the iPhone. Because there is a high demand for the iPhone, there might not be enough panels for the iPod, especially with suppliers like Sharp having issues.


    The 5th gen iPod touch has multiple colors, all of them now with anodized aluminum instead of stainless steel backs, which is also having yield issues. (see iPhone 5 scratching)


    The 5th gen iPod touch is selling at $299, the same price point as this "iPad mini"



    So, no iPad mini event, and since the iPod touch was already announced that would mean no event at all. Seem kinda odd with the event rumors and supposed iPad mini part leaks

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  • Reply 54 of 78

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    Yup. That's why there's plenty of oversupply of the iPhone 5.


     


    Go away, troll.



    What does iOS 6 and the iPhone 5 have to do with each other? There are several problems with iOS 6 beyond the Maps issue. The  Apple forum is full of battery drain issues which is now typical. Also after years of being on this forum I would love to know what make you think this forum is so important that everyone wants to troll it? I don't even hear that term used anymore on other forums. I don't see this problem on Macrumors. When I had an Android device the Android forums talk about technology I rarely ever see Apple bashing or Apple trolls. 


     


    This forum baits these issues. The threads that get the most hits always have to do with Samsung, Google or someone in the news saying something that isn't a glowing comment about Apple. A rapper at a MS store, a NYT article and anything related to legal issues with Samsung by far have more hits than anything simply related to Apple on this forum. I give credit to this forum it can get you dumb ass bags to jump at anything.  Up to 444 comments on the NYT Apple Maps issue. Up to 371 comments on Tim Cook apology for Maps. Up to 270 comments on Google 'iLost" thread. 


     


    Any troll on this forum isn't a problems its sensitive school girls like you that are the problem on this forum. Grow up.

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  • Reply 55 of 78
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by winstein2010 View Post



    Limited supply makes it more desirable.


    Uh, I think "desire" makes supply more limited.

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  • Reply 56 of 78
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member


    Quote:



    Originally Posted by Sasparilla View Post


    Definitely seems odd unless Apple was doing a top of line technology use on the smaller iPad (which we've been led to believe they wouldn't be doing).


     


    Apple definitely has a lot of iron's in the fire all at once....



    From all the recent threads on the "mini P," guess I'm one of few who seems concerned that if Apple brings out a screen with iPad 1 resolution, older chip, possibly with no LTE (or maybe even 3G) option and maybe a crap cam AND at a higher price than the several much higher res models already released in this space AND prices it above them, it could be a strategic product misstep of Cubian proportions.... ...so let's hope it's because (if the report carries any water) they are speccing it out to be niftier than that (or are at least planning to be very aggressive on pricing if a mass market entry level tablet device, i.e., the iPad nano of tablets, is their goal). 



    FYI, it's not an exactly "Apples to Apples" comparison (many of the internals and much of the assembly would cost about the same, e.g.), but if the new geegaw is 60% of the size of the parent (think I read that figure, but whatever, I'm just blue-skying), it's kind of interesting that 60% of the price of the way that one's fitted out is exactly $299.


     


    A shame if they aim low - know I'm waiting to see if the product's good before I decide on my EOY Apple purchases....  ...and my entry-level comments notwithstanding, it's also hard to conceive that after the iPad 3, MBPr and recent iPhones that they'd highlight a non-Retina res device as their follow-on brand new SKU.  Feels retrograde to go back to their earlier standards on a new product line and competitors would seize on it in their marketing, which Apple doesn't need.  Their "halo" of being the quality choice is a key to the company's ongoing success.


     


    (Historical footnote: I remember when Sony and Panasonic started releasing garbage stereo products [remember those?] at low prices and killed their image in those areas.  Panasonic tried to recover by releasing a new higher-end line called Technics, but it was too late.  To whatever extent they were, neither's ever been taken seriously by medium budget audiophiles again.  Follow ons: 1. Of course, tho' I doubt either knew it, the "stereo" market was dying anyway, and 2. Both did seem to learn and both' companies' newish camera lines and HDTV's have hewed mostly to the highish end of their various niches.) 



    Anyway, "Pride [still] goeth before a fall."  And hubris about their cachet could prove a deadly sin....

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  • Reply 57 of 78
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,578member
    I think it will be much better resolution than the old iPad. Its DPI will likely be in the middle of both old iPad and new iPad. It will retain the traditional iPad resolution but in a smaller dimension hence higher DPI.

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  • Reply 58 of 78
    allenbfallenbf Posts: 993member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


     

    I still think it's going to simply be iPad, pick your size. (Just like iMac, pick your size, MacBook Air, pick your size, etc). The iPad 2 will be discontinued. If the iPad 2 was going to be an ongoing product, why can you only buy them directly from Apple (other than a few suppliers who still have the the "old" iPad 2 in stock and sell them above retail price), and why are they little more than a footnote on the iPad page on Apple's online store? I think they kept the iPad 2 as a temporary measure until the smaller sized iPad was ready.


     


    I like your analysis, and this could also explain why there was no "iPad 3," only the "New iPad."  The 2 goes away as an older model of the iPad, and we get 2 products: the iPad and the iPad Mini/Air/Light.


     


    By god, I believe we've nailed it!  

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  • Reply 59 of 78
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by allenbf View Post

    I like your analysis, and this could also explain why there was no "iPad 3," only the "New iPad."  The 2 goes away as an older model of the iPad, and we get 2 products: the iPad and the iPad Mini/Air/Light.


     


    So as long as the iPhone has numbers, regardless of if they're anywhere near right or not, it's a sign that there won't be any other models. 

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  • Reply 60 of 78
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    sasparilla wrote: »
    Definitely seems odd unless Apple was doing a top of line technology use on the smaller iPad (which we've been led to believe they wouldn't be doing).

    Apple definitely has a lot of iron's in the fire all at once....

    I'm not sure who is leading you to believe that Apple won't be using bleeding edge technology. Apple best chance in this market is noticeably more advanced tperformance and technology.
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