Initial iPad mini availability may be limited due to issues at display supplier
Even before Apple opens its virtual doors to iPad mini preorders, one analyst claims low yield rates from the company's display makers could put the tablet in short supply ahead of the lucrative holiday shopping season.
NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET on Tuesday that one of Apple's two suppliers for the iPad mini's 7.9-inch display is having issues meeting its planned yield rates, effectively leaving only one fully-functioning provider.
Instead of going with Samsung, formerly Apple's number one display supplier, the iPad maker chose to order parts from LG and AU Optronics. LG shipped 300,000 panels in September, with plans to ramp up production to one million in October, 2.5 million in November, and 3 million in December. AU, however, is seeing trouble with the 7.9-inch panels and only shipped 100,000 in September, ahead of a planned ramp up to 400,000 in October, 800,000 in November, and one million in December.
"We're now starting to see the issues that [Apple] is having with Samsung," Shim said. "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."
In a blog post, the analyst pointed out that Apple's relatively low price of entry 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."
Apple usually counts on at least two major suppliers to provide displays for hot-selling products. For example, both Samsung and LG took orders for the third-generation iPad.
It remains to be seen what if Apple was able to pump out enough units for a successful launch, but if demand for the iPad mini is as strong as it was for the iPhone 5, an initial stock out would almost be a certainty.
NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET on Tuesday that one of Apple's two suppliers for the iPad mini's 7.9-inch display is having issues meeting its planned yield rates, effectively leaving only one fully-functioning provider.
Instead of going with Samsung, formerly Apple's number one display supplier, the iPad maker chose to order parts from LG and AU Optronics. LG shipped 300,000 panels in September, with plans to ramp up production to one million in October, 2.5 million in November, and 3 million in December. AU, however, is seeing trouble with the 7.9-inch panels and only shipped 100,000 in September, ahead of a planned ramp up to 400,000 in October, 800,000 in November, and one million in December.
"We're now starting to see the issues that [Apple] is having with Samsung," Shim said. "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."
In a blog post, the analyst pointed out that Apple's relatively low price of entry 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."
Apple usually counts on at least two major suppliers to provide displays for hot-selling products. For example, both Samsung and LG took orders for the third-generation iPad.
It remains to be seen what if Apple was able to pump out enough units for a successful launch, but if demand for the iPad mini is as strong as it was for the iPhone 5, an initial stock out would almost be a certainty.
Comments
And some people want Apple to price it even lower than $329? Why in the world would Apple do that? These people must not be very clever or business minded. I believe that the people who say that are just saying it because they want to buy one for themselves, and they're looking to save a buck. Well, guess what. It aint gonna happen bro. Go buy a crappy Android tablet, if price is your main concern. Thankfully, Apple is not a part of the "race to the bottom" mentality that other companies have.
Apple is going to sell every single iPad Mini that they can make at $329, it would be totally retarded to sell it for any cheaper. The only reason that many other companies price their tablets at rock bottom prices, is because they have no choice.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's breaking news, "Initial 13-inch MacBook Pro Supply May Be Affected by Low Display Yields."
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
The big point of this display choice was because it's going to lower the cost for Apple because it's easier to produce so nless it's because of in-cell tech I don't see why as Apple has been producing 163 PPI displays since the original iPhone.
Do we know for sure that the iPad Mini uses an in cell touch panel? If yes, then perhaps that it is a contributing factor, if yields are low.
Well, they can fight for this 'low supply', I'll wait for the retina version next March.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drobforever
Well, they can fight for this 'low supply', I'll wait for the retina version next March.
And if there ever is a "retina" version, then that'll probably be in low supply too, so you'll be getting yours much, much later than March most likely, probably closer to 2014. And where did you get the idea that Apple is on a 6 month update schedule all of a sudden?
We'll have to wait for the break down. I don't recall them mentioning it during today's event. Perhaps it's not ready for that size display as it seems like something to tout.
It's surely more costly but it would also reduce the thickness and perhaps some power usage so it seems like something they'd want to use if at all feasible, but we need to remember an A6 would also reduce power usage for a given performance level over the A5 and they didn't include that due to what can only be assumed is cost, just like in the iPod Touch.
Personally, I'm saying Apple will sell a dozen millions of these this quarter.
Good luck with that. I predict the next version will be out next Autumn with an A6 running at 1024x768 that is either lighter/thinner or cheaper. I also predict the next 10" iPad update will be next Autumn with an A7 or A7X which will be the earliest for the Img Tech Rogue 6 GPU which should make things much easier for the iPad with that 2048x1536, which means it'll be the year after that we'll see the A7 or A7X in the iPad mini with a Retina Display. IOW, I'm saying 2014.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Good luck with that. I predict the next version will be out next Autumn with an A6 running at 1024x768 that is either lighter/thinner or cheaper. I also predict the next 10" iPad update will be next Autumn with an A7 or A7X which will be the earliest for the Img Tech Rogue 6 GPU which should make things much easier for the iPad with that 2048x1536, which means it'll be the year after that we'll see the A7 or A7X in the iPad mini with a Retina Display. IOW, I'm saying 2014.
People such as John Gruber are saying you can definitely tell this is a non-Retina Display when reading text. Sounds obvious of course, but I hoped with this being a smaller display than iPad 2 it might be much less noticeable. So fixing this downer will be a priority for Apple in the first revision I imagine and hope.
I think it's a no brainer they put Retina in the new iPad Mini next year as long as they can do it for a reasonable cost. But regardless how long it takes, I will be sitting this out until they do put a Retina in it. I don't care if that means waiting 2-3 years. I just can't go back to reading on a non-Retina iPad now.
Good point. If it's IGZO then there could be a yield problem with that tech but we've seen so many sky is falling rumours about production problems that haven't been true that I'd bet against there being any. Tim Cook has been great with the component sourcing over the years and I don't expect that to stop now.
think about what the iPad (3) took to get Retina. They had to increase the thickness and weight considerably. That is unusual for Apple. Now the A6 doesn't bring anythng else to the table with the GPU, only the CPU.
So how does the A6X get 2x better GPU or the iPad (4)? It's not likely from a better GPU, but more GPU cores, faster GPU clock speeds, and possibly more bandwidth, or a combination. The 32nm down from 45nm helps allow this without using any additional power to do so (or they could have stayed the same and increased the battery life quite a bit.
Now the backlight on the iPad (3) is a power drain and that would be smaller, but so is the battery in the iPad mini. I think the 16.7 W rumour from Sunday is accurate. That's 4.39x larger than the new iPod Touch battery which puts it in line as the iPad mini display area is 4.27x larger than the Touch's 4" display.
All of this screams no 326 PPI 2048x1536 Retina display until Rogue 6 is available which means 2nd half of next year... but the iPad mini gets the Apple ASIC the year after it comes out.
I certainly hope I'm wrong, but Apple tends to plan this stuff out for the long game and doesn't often waver from their path.
PS: With a 163 PPI display it's the same reading "quality" as the first 3 iPhones and Touches, except with IPS, better backlights, and better colour representation. I think the resolution is probably the most important but it's surely better than the iPad 2 which I thought was pretty good for reading... until I got the iPad (3). Truth be told I don't see myself getting this device but i think it's a fine device for the price with 30 sq inches of area.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eksodos
People such as John Gruber are saying you can definitely tell this is a non-Retina Display when reading text. Sounds obvious of course, but I hoped with this being a smaller display than iPad 2 it might be much less noticeable. So fixing this downer will be a priority for Apple in the first revision I imagine and hope.
I think it's a no brainer they put Retina in the new iPad Mini next year as long as they can do it for a reasonable cost. But regardless how long it takes, I will be sitting this out until they do put a Retina in it. I don't care if that means waiting 2-3 years. I just can't go back to reading on a non-Retina iPad now.
Of course it's not going to compare to a premium retina display, but everybody has a different set of eyes and the Verge wrote this:
The display on the mini looks incredibly sharp, and even though the resolution is lower than the 3rd and 4th generation full-size iPad, it doesn't immediately seem like a 1024 x 768 display. The smaller, 7.9-inch surface area certainly helps squeeze the pixels.
Ummm, it might not be magic...maybe its just that no one ever actually touches the other brands???
http://goo.gl/vp5Wo