Apple reportedly caused display shortage that delayed RIM PlayBook 1 month

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
A new report out of the Far East suggests that a one month delay to Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet may have been a result of Apple booking up most of the available touch panel production capacity.



Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported Thursday that RIM's 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook, which is set to launch on April 19 for $499, may have had trouble acquiring sufficient supply of touch display panels to manufacture the device because Apple consumes the lion's share of larger touch display production capacity.



Citing sources from touch screen panel makers, the report alleged that PlayBook shipments were postponed for roughly a month "due to a delay in software testing as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity."



RIM's answer to the iPad had originally been scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2011. Instead, the PlayBook will ship more than one month after Apple shipped the second-generation of its successful tablet.



Late last year, one Wall Street analyst suggested that RIM was having trouble engineering the PlayBook to get more than "a few hours" of battery life. RIM quickly denied the claim, promising that the tablet would have "superior performance with comparable battery life."



The BlackBerry maker recently revealed that the PlayBook will support Android OS 2.3-compatible applications in addition to existing BlackBerry apps. A 4G version of the device is scheduled for release on the Sprint network this summer.



For its part, Apple is believed to have reserved a large portion of the world's available production capacity for touch screens with a $3.9 billion secret long-term investment. With over $50 billion in cash reserves, the iPad maker has been known to pre-pay for components in order to guarantee priority and favorable pricing.



According to a recent Bill of Materials estimate from iSuppli, manufacturing challenges have driven up the cost of the touchscreen on the iPad 2 to $127, $30 more than the original iPad.



Last week, rumors swirled that Apple had inked a deal with AU Optronics to supply LCD screens for the iPad 2, though AU executive vice president Paul Peng denied the rumors.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    2oh12oh1 Posts: 503member
    "due to a delay in software testing as well as..."



    Oh, brother. Are they saying they'd have released it before the software testing was done if they could have gotten display panels in time? In that case, I haven't released MY tablet yet due to the fact that I haven't created one as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity.
  • Reply 2 of 34
    Talk about snoozing??? they had a year to get the memo, plan, design, buy the parts........ OH, forgot to buy the partshttp://forums.appleinsider.com/images/smilies/1mad.gif

    SOOOOOOOOOOOOn though, I promise

    And this time I really mean it!
  • Reply 3 of 34
    I find this hard to believe. I mean, how many PlayBook can they sell? 100k like the Xoom? If that's the case, it should be rather easy to secure 100k displays, especially when it's 7" not 10".
  • Reply 4 of 34
    loptimistloptimist Posts: 113member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2oh1 View Post


    "due to a delay in software testing as well as..."



    Oh, brother. Are they saying they'd have released it before the software testing was done if they could have gotten display panels in time? In that case, I haven't released MY tablet yet due to the fact that I haven't created one as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity.



    no they are saying PlayBook is delayed due to two reasons.



    don't think they'd release it if they had only one reason.



    either way, good excuse for delaying the product.



    blaming apple for their own failure to secure supplies.
  • Reply 5 of 34
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    For its part, Apple is believed to have reserved a large portion of the world's available production capacity for touch screens with a $3.9 billion secret long-term investment.



    LOL I love it when people keep secrets on the Internets. Nobody will possibly see that!
  • Reply 6 of 34
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    ZZZZZZ Wake me up when this actually starts shipping and is available in WiFi-only and WiFi+3G models you don't have to tether to a BlackBerry.
  • Reply 7 of 34
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by drobforever View Post


    I find this hard to believe. I mean, how many PlayBook can they sell? 100k like the Xoom? If that's the case, it should be rather easy to secure 100k displays, especially when it's 7" not 10".



    The 7" and 10" panels are probably cut from the same large sheet of float glass. They probably had to tell Rim that they needed to get the 10" done before they can get to the 7".
  • Reply 8 of 34
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2oh1 View Post


    "due to a delay in software testing as well as..."



    Oh, brother. Are they saying they'd have released it before the software testing was done if they could have gotten display panels in time? In that case, I haven't released MY tablet yet due to the fact that I haven't created one as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity.



    That?s what it sounded like to me too In reality, they probably wouldn?t have... which means they?d have been late to release regardless of whether Apple planned ahead better (and, you know... designed a tablet and OS sooner...)



    Although if any of those software issues are battery-related, there may BE no real solution.
  • Reply 9 of 34
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    A new report out of the Far East suggests that a one month delay to Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet may have been a result of Apple booking up most of the available touch panel production capacity.



    For its part, Apple is believed to have reserved a large portion of the world's available production capacity for touch screens with a $3.9 billion secret long-term investment. With over $50 billion in cash reserves, the iPad maker has been known to pre-pay for components in order to guarantee priority and favorable pricing.



    Now we know why Steve Jobs insisted to introduce the iPad 2 earlier than all have expected to be..
  • Reply 10 of 34
    thepixeldocthepixeldoc Posts: 2,257member
    I'm just curious why these companies make it so easy to make fun of them.



    Why say anything at all?



    Fact is: that Playbook is effectively DOA. I doubt they will actually "sell" more than 50,000. Giving them away to their strategic partners and enterprise, in the hopes that they will find a use, integrate, and write programs for them... does not count.



    How soon will it be after launch that we will hear they are already working on Playbook 2, and that they have to "re-think their strategy".



    I mean seriously: DUH!... and embarrassingly laughable.



    I stand behind my prediction, more so every day: RIM will be sold by the end of 2011... no later than Q1 2012.
  • Reply 11 of 34
    thepixeldocthepixeldoc Posts: 2,257member
    I don't expect every company to take it's cues from Apple's strategy, HOWEVER, some things they do quite well, such as:
    • keep their developments and research in-house and secret;

    • refrain from making claims about their devices BEFORE they make it to market, and let that market and it's customers decide whether it's good or not;

    • ignore the press, bloggers, and technorati... let their customers speak for them. Best advertising you can ever get, but can not buy: word-of-mouth;

    • have unwittingly created a "buzz-industry" and free PR around their products, due to all of the conjecture, guessing, and rumors... by saying absolutely nothing!. How downright clever is that?!

    • when they do need to make advertising and market their products, they show what it can do, why it's a clever choice (the old PC-Mac campaign), and dare I say "fun" to own;

    • their ads mirror their design-philosophy and aesthetics to top it off.

    Why is it that no other firm today can figure that out, and make it work for them too?



    The short list (above points) are now in B&W here at AI, so the "Marketeers" can't say they've never heard of this before.



    They all do read AI Forums... don't they?
  • Reply 12 of 34
    chabigchabig Posts: 641member
    Apple has $50 billion in cash reserves? How did they lose $10 billion?
  • Reply 13 of 34
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Seriously folks this isnt the LCD. You would think it would be a snap to set up a production line for panels. After all it is just glass and invisible wires.



    As to RIM I had great hopes that they would actually come out with a sound alternative to iPad. Apple needs competition and Android is way to brain dead. Unfortunately it looks like RIM has a terrible kludge coming!!!
  • Reply 14 of 34
    bedouinbedouin Posts: 331member
  • Reply 15 of 34
    mhiklmhikl Posts: 471member
    How silly. If it weren't for Apple, RIM wouldn't even be thinking about bringing out a tablet at any time.



    Ha ha.
  • Reply 16 of 34
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2oh1 View Post


    "due to a delay in software testing as well as..."



    Oh, brother. Are they saying they'd have released it before the software testing was done if they could have gotten display panels in time? In that case, I haven't released MY tablet yet due to the fact that I haven't created one as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity.



    Judging by some of the other tablets out there, yes, they probably would have released it before software testing was done.
  • Reply 17 of 34
    rabbit_coachrabbit_coach Posts: 1,114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nagromme View Post


    That’s what it sounded like to me too In reality, they probably wouldn’t have... which means they’d have been late to release regardless of whether Apple planned ahead better (and, you know... designed a tablet and OS sooner...)



    Although if any of those software issues are battery-related, there may BE no real solution.



    I hope for their own sake, that they bring it out before the iPad3 is available.



    .... But then again, maybe they should rethink their price strategy
  • Reply 18 of 34
    dishdish Posts: 64member
    Ironically, I'm sure they actually needed the extra time to finish the software....not that it will make a difference in the long run.
  • Reply 19 of 34
    tardistardis Posts: 94member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    A new report out of the Far East suggests that a one month delay to Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet may have been a result of Apple booking up most of the available touch panel production capacity. ][/url][/c]



    So, Apple deliberately ordered touch panels just to prevent Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet being released on time? Rather than, for example, because there was huge demand for Apple's iPad?



    Would Apple ever do such a thing?



    How does the video go?



    SS Dr. Cook: I am afraid, mein Fuhrer, if we order enough iPad screens, it will mean the downfall of the Canadians .................
  • Reply 20 of 34
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tardis View Post


    SS Dr. Cook: I am afraid, mein Fuhrer, if we order enough iPad screens, it will mean the downfall of the Canadians .................



    You know that Steve Jobs' parents are Jewish, right?
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