7" panel orders reportedly overtake 9.7" shipments as iPad 2 production draws down

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Growing interest in 7-inch tablets from Amazon and Barnes & Noble has led to a spike in panel shipments even as Apple is believed to be drawing down production of the iPad 2 in preparation for its next-generation tablet, resulting in reports that 7-inch orders have briefly surpassed those of 9.7-inch panels.



Taiwan's DigiTimes claimed on Thursday that "sources from panel players" indicated a strong boost in purchases of 7-inch panels in November, enough to push the supply volume past that of 9.7-inch panels bound for the iPad and other similarly-sized tablets. Shipments of the component reportedly grew 17 percent in one month as Amazon readied its Kindle Fire tablet and Barnes & Noble ramped up production of its Nook Tablet.



"As for 9.7-inch panel, due to Apple reportedly being ready to launch the next-generation iPad in the first half of 2012, the company's purchasing of the panel for the existing model dropped in November, but may start pick up again as the company will need to prepare panels for the new models," the report read.



Apple is believed to be in the middle of a transition away from iPad 2 production as it prepares for the third-generation iPad. The next-generation tablet is expected to arrive early next year, with one analyst claiming it could arrive as early as next February. For its part, DigiTimes has claimed that Apple's next iPad will arrive in March or April 2012.



Early sales of the Kindle Fire appear to suggest that the iPad has met its first mainstream competitor in the tablet market. Amazon revealed last week that it had sold "millions of units" of the Fire without providing further details. The device has been the online retailer's best-selling product for weeks.



A number of analysts have reined in their iPad estimates for the fourth quarter due to better-than-expected momentum from the Kindle Fire. Wall Street consensus for the holiday quarter stands at 13 million iPads.



Research firm IDC believes the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet will lead Android's tablet charge this quarter, driving an expected 8 percent leap in market share for the platform. Meanwhile, the iPad is expected to fall from 61.5 percent market share to 59 percent, according to the firm.







As the iPad has faced increasing pressure from more diminutive tablet form factors, rumors have cropped up claiming that Apple will cave in and release its own 7-inch iPad in order to stave off the competition. Such reports, however, have been dismissed by some as being pure speculation, considering the company already looked into the 7-inch form factor before deciding it was too small.



Other reports have suggested that Apple may expand its iPad lineup next year, adding lower and higher price point versions. One analyst recently claimed that the company could release a Retina Display iPad as a true third generation alongside a cheaper "iPad 2S" with upgraded internals but the same resolution as its predecessor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 64
    That's impossible.



    1) People are only interested in the iPad. The other platforms don't sell

    2) Steve Jobs has decreed the no-one is interested in a 7'' format.
  • Reply 2 of 64
    Oh no, Apple just lost the tablet market¡ How will they ever cope with making all the profit¡





    PS: Archos has also just released a $199 7" tablet running Honeycomb. It's the first one below $200. This is a big deal, IMO, yet seems to be getting little attention.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blitz1 View Post


    2) Steve Jobs has decreed the no-one is interested in a 7'' format.



    What did Steve say exactly?
  • Reply 3 of 64
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    What did Steve say exactly?



    Whatever he said it is not relevant. Not because he is gone but because the market has changed since then. if Apple brought out a seven inch device At some point in the future I would not be surprised. If they brought one out in the first half of 2012, I would be.
  • Reply 4 of 64
    I think the size of the iPad is fine as is. At this point, changing the size would mean that Apple needs to produce entirely new aluminum cases as well as other companies like Otterbox and Incase will have to modify their cases for iPads. Im sure it's somewhat cheaper to make it smaller, but I highly doubt that they'll drop the price dramatically. I think people are draw to the more convenient and small sized tablets because it feels more "holdable" and easy to get a grasp on.
  • Reply 5 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Whatever he said it is not relevant. Not because he is gone but because the market has changed since then. if Apple brought out a seven inch device At some point in the future I would not be surprised. If they brought one out in the first half of 2012, I would be.



    I'm curious because his comment about shaving down your fingers which gets thrown out of context. Obviously Apple can make a version of iOS for a smaller display because that is how the iPhone. I don't think Apple will go with a smaller iPad but I do think they could go with a larger iPod Touch.



    As for the market changing I agree, but when you look at how it's changed its using forked versions of Android that are closed and running a limited set of HW and SW features that make a 7" design feasible and cost effective. They are the netbooks of the tablet world. Are these sustainable or will people realize a 3" x 6" display are only decent for glorified eReaders but don't make a good tablet experience when replacing a 'PC' for longtime usage?
  • Reply 6 of 64
    I don't want a f'cking 7 inch screen. I have an iPhone 4 and will have an iPhone 5 with a larger screen. Covers the small screen market nicely.



    My first iPad will be this year. Full size and retina.



    7 inch Kindles are for gurls. Just watch Amazon's commercials. But my wife had a Kindle. Now she has an iPad 2. The training wheels are off.
  • Reply 7 of 64
    I don't get it. Something does't make sense.



    They would still need 9.7 inch panels for the next iPad. The volume would presumably be close to the same, especially if they need to stock up for a crazy launch like they did with the 4S.



    Is it a totally new panel then? Maybe a Retina panel that for some reason doesn't show up in the Analyst's number crunching?



    I'm still hoping for a double resolution panel, but something here doesn't add up.



    Ha ha! I would have figured there were a ton of EXTRA 7" panels from the previous Android models that didn't sell. Shipments would be the key word... and shipments would be quite smooth!
  • Reply 8 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleZilla View Post


    7 inch Kindles are for gurls. Just watch Amazon's commercials. But my wife had a Kindle. Now she has an iPad 2. The training wheels are off.



    You're a monument to your gender! How nice of you to get your wife an iPad so she's finally not a "gurl" but a full fledge woman!
  • Reply 9 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vadania View Post


    You're a monument to your gender! How nice of you to get your wife an iPad so she's finally not a "gurl" but a full fledge woman!



    And you can be 100% sure that he would have been playing Urge Overkill's version of "Gurl You'll Be a Woman Soon" before getting her the iPad!
  • Reply 10 of 64
    Every time I see that ad for Facetime on the iPad 2, I am just fascinated by the amount of thought that goes into even a single image. Sure, it isn't too accurate, since people are never looking straight into the camera on Facetime, but the colour matching and co-ordination on the photo is something to marvel at.



    I guess it is second nature to someone in advertising, but it really impresses me. Great job.
  • Reply 11 of 64
    The domino effect is happening right before our eyes. Because of Amazons success using Android the 7" form factor is finally getting traction. Actually overtaking iPad screen size. So 2011 we see the smartphone war won by Android, 2012 will most likely usher the tablet war going for another Google/Android win. I'm starting to feel bad for Apple, they had a good start but can't keep ahead.
  • Reply 12 of 64
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    Reliable sources claim that Apple is working on a 0.7" iPad. Slated to be launched January 32nd. Apple has been quoted as saying the average human can't see past his own finger nail. So we are launching an implant with a cable attached for transferring music. The cable is larger than the iPad and is said to interfere with how people will blink. Having an iPad attached to your eyeball seems a bit extreme but people are in favor of having crap stuck to their eye ball. Orders have gone out for 100 billion units. Apple expects the sales of some 200 billion units. China has already used some 1 billion of its people to experiment on. Most have gone blind in one eye but say they loved it when asked via gun point.
  • Reply 13 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by slapppy View Post


    The domino effect is happening right before our eyes. Because of Amazons success using Android the 7" form factor is finally getting traction. Actually overtaking iPad screen size. So 2011 we see the smartphone war won by Android, 2012 will most likely usher the tablet war going for another Google/Android win. I'm starting to feel bad for Apple, they had a good start but can't keep ahead.



    What will Google/Android win?
  • Reply 14 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by slapppy View Post


    The domino effect is happening right before our eyes. Because of Amazons success using Android the 7" form factor is finally getting traction. Actually overtaking iPad screen size. So 2011 we see the smartphone war won by Android, 2012 will most likely usher the tablet war going for another Google/Android win. I'm starting to feel bad for Apple, they had a good start but can't keep ahead.



    Uh, yeah. If you add up all the Android tablets and Kindle Fires for all of 2011 and 2010, you still won't equal what Apple "shipped" in one quarter. Good try though sparky.



    By the way, the numbers make no sense. Apple shipped or is expected to ship 13 million plus iPads in Q4 and make up over 60% of the market. Amazon supposedly sold only 3-4 million Fires in that time frame. If 7" screens surpassed 9.7" panels, where did the other 10 million + 7" panels go? To Chinese white label tablets?
  • Reply 15 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mac.World View Post


    Uh, yeah. If you add up all the Android tablets and Kindle Fires for all of 2011 and 2010, you still won't equal what Apple "shipped" in one quarter. Good try though sparky.



    By the way, the numbers make no sense. Apple shipped or is expected to ship 13 million plus iPads in Q4 and make up over 60% of the market. Amazon supposedly sold only 3-4 million Fires in that time frame. If 7" screens surpassed 9.7" panels, where did the other 10 million + 7" panels go? To Chinese white label tablets?



    Remember this a rumour from DigiTimes.



    Throw in B&N and all these little tablet makers and I think you could get those numbers. Do a search no Amazon for 7" tablet and you get almost 22,000 results. There are accessories in that list but the number of off brand tablets ? many that are below $100 ? is staggering.Plus, are they only counting LCD IPS panels (which is the only viable choice today), LCD panels, or all 7" panels which could include eInk panels. For all we know their source could be counting a form factor not a display technology, and they certainly aren't counting 7" LCD IPS tablet running Android.
  • Reply 16 of 64
    big deal about 7 inch tablets. But the marketing on them is probably what is of interest to tech companies. They can tout the idea of putting them in your pocket. Whatever.
  • Reply 17 of 64
    Seems the 7" form is more fad driven, released at holiday time with a good price point. Yet, in the long term, 7" screens will prove to be "too big to be small and too small to be big"
  • Reply 18 of 64
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2stepbay View Post


    Seems the 7" form is more fad driven, released at holiday time with a good price point. Yet, in the long term, 7" screens will prove to be "too big to be small and too small to be big"



    Sorta reminds me of the netbook craze.



    They were cheap... but were kinda small for actual work.



    *although some people loved them
  • Reply 19 of 64
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    As the iPad has faced increasing pressure from more diminutive tablet form factors, rumors have cropped up claiming that Apple will cave in and release its own 7-inch iPad in order to stave off the competition.



    That sort of pressure would be reflected in the marketshare:



    http://www.t3.com/news/apples-tablet...-61-5-per-cent



    Let's just say the marketshare of their closest rival is 'quite smooth'.



    They also make a 10" tablet. I quite like the 7" form factor for a tablet as it's very light and easy to hold with one hand and I don't really find it to be all that cramped for browsing etc. but given the choice, I'd probably go for a 10" if the price difference wasn't significant. From looking at the competition, it seems they almost charge the same for the 7" and 10" versions (not even $100 between them).



    The big problem with a 7" is if Apple made one and it was cheaper, people would buy it for the price not for the size.
  • Reply 20 of 64
    shaun, ukshaun, uk Posts: 1,050member
    It's a shame Apple did away with the annual MacWorld keynote in January as it always led to some interesting Mac related rumours around this time of the year. Now all we get is the same iPhone/iPad rumours repeated over and over simply because the analysts have to churn out something to keep their highly paid jobs.
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