Sharp cuts production of 9.7" iPad screens, demand may be shifting to Apple's iPad mini

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 111
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    "Sharp is said..."

    More unsubstantiated rumor and click whoring by AI.
  • Reply 42 of 111
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by KPOM View Post



    There are several possible explanations. 


     


    No there aren't. It's a RUMOR, an F'ing rumor.

  • Reply 43 of 111
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    lkrupp wrote: »
    "Sharp is said..."

    More unsubstantiated rumor and click whoring by AI.
    Which inevitably will then get picked up by c|net, The Verge, Engadget, etc. and soon enough the meme will be that no one wants iPads any more and everyone is buying cheaper Android tablets now. :rolleyes:
  • Reply 44 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by frxntier View Post



    Unless iOS 7 really ups the anti, I'll be switching to WP 8 I reckon... I'm not surprised demand has fallen for iPhone 5.


     


    You write as if someone cares. Thanks for taking the time to write 10 posts.

  • Reply 45 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post




    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Sharp is said to have "nearly halted" production of 9.7-inch panels for Apple's full-size iPad ... some market watchers believe the new iPad mini may have had a significant effect on sales of the full-size iPad. ...


     


    This is ridiculous.  The next iPad and the iPad mini are supposed to be using IGZO screen technology.  If that's true then all production of current screens is due to wind down. 


    There is no reason at all to take this as an indication of product popularity (or lack of it).  



     


    Exactly!


     


    And it took 30 + posts before anyone brought it up.


     


     


    FWIW, here's the first prototype of the IGZO tablet:


     



     


     


    Notice the new rhomboid form factor, rounded corners and bezel-less display!


     


    Non-back-lit Retina display of 333 PPI (Pokes Per Inch).


     


    This baby is a svelte 1 1/8" thick and weighs-in at a mere 12 lbs.

  • Reply 46 of 111
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Which inevitably will then get picked up by c|net, The Verge, Engadget, etc. and soon enough the meme will be that no one wants iPads any more and everyone is buying cheaper Android tablets now. image


    Not just buying cheaper Androids, but simply buying less expensive tablets period.


     


    IMHO there's little chance of Apple continuing to command $500+ prices for an iPad over the long haul. Why spend upwards of 100% more for one over another if they both serve the same purpose and just as efficiently for your intended use? Give it another 24 months or less and I predict you'll see some entry-level tablet given away free with a contract for content subscription. There's already at least one tablet being sold that reportedly cost less than $40 to build.


    http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/28/aakash-2-hands-on/

  • Reply 47 of 111
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    I've known since I first picked a mini at the Apple Store that my next device would be an LTE 64GB once it has Retina.

    Add phone capabilities, and it would replace my iPhone as well.



     


    With LTE and VOIP it's not as clean but possible.  But yes, I agree.  If the iPad Mini had voice my wife would have dumped her iPhone since she doesn't usually have pockets and carries a purse or some kind of bag anyway.

  • Reply 48 of 111
    evilutionevilution Posts: 1,399member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by xgman View Post



    How ironic that the mini size is such a big hit.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Please explain the irony.


     


    (Lesson in Irony)


    image



     


    How ironic that the mini size is such a big hit.


     


    Sorry but that does class as irony.


    Lesson passed.

  • Reply 49 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


     


    Exactly!


     


    And it took 30 + posts before anyone brought it up.


     


     


    FWIW, here's the first prototype of the IGZO tablet:


     



     


     


    Notice the new rhomboid form factor, rounded corners and bezel-less display!


     


    Non-back-lit Retina display of 333 PPI (Pokes Per Inch).



     


    That's cool. But just one point, this is not a rhomboid (unless you count squares as rhomboids). A rhomboid has oblique angles and unequal adjacent sides. But it does look like the first tablet in the shape of a rounded rectangle/square. And a curved display to boot!

  • Reply 50 of 111


    Originally Posted by blackbook View Post

    iOS in a 13 inch tablet would be a waste.


     


    Why?






    If such a tablet had desktop style multitasking then it would make sense but until then. No.



     


    Why?

  • Reply 51 of 111
    I seriously hope that the ones doing this are put in jail. This is criminal.
    I also want
  • Reply 52 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by peteo View Post



    What about apple switching to IGZO screens? that would explain the order cut. IGZO has alot better power profile and screens can be thinner (and flexible). They also can have a higher PPI. Sharp already has a smart phone that use's and IGZO screen, but no tablets yet. If apple goes with it for a new iPad it could give them an advantage and they would probably be able to be exclusive(other than maybe a sharp tablet) for 6 months to a year. I think the only issue would be yields, which might drive the cost of the screen higher..


    the key is thinner (=lower weight).  More PPI is is counterproductive (requires more GPU power, ergo more power, more battery more weight).


    Flexible has some advantages for durability, but not a big selling item.


     


    Less weight per radial inch means less torque when holding between thumb and forefinger, which means less thumb surface area required, which means a smaller bezel (more specifically a larger view area).


     


    All that said...


     


    The timing is suspicious.   I strongly suspect there is a $500 over/under (letting over $500 shorts expire to protect hedge fund managers from covering their hedges, figuring that the stock likely going to explode 10+% over the next 2 months... as well as letting big money get back in at a major discount for future P/E expectation)


     


    My guess is that Apple will announce blowout iPhone and iPad numbers, a decent (better than recent) margin on each.  There will be a March/April iPad release, and my guess a phone release that will signal a counter punching ability to the industry's ability to ride the April-September 'yawn' on the iPhone capabilities.  It may be a small tweak (better radios/antennas for LTE, internal optimizations, security[fingerprint], etc.  I have no basis on this, other than reading into TCook's past statements.

  • Reply 53 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by KPOM View Post



    There are several possible explanations. First, I do think the iPad mini is very popular. It was priced right to be a holiday gift. It may also be the right size for the long term, being bigger and more readable than the silly "phablets" but smaller and more portable than the 9.7" and even bigger Android tablets, which will probably eventually see more competition from Windows 8.



    Second, it could mean a 5th generation is on its way, with a more substantial redesign to address the size and weight.



    Third, the holiday season has passed.


     


    I think screen sizes will remain the same but the glass will be redesigned to support finger print authentication.


     


    Time will tell.

  • Reply 54 of 111
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


    This is ridiculous.  The next iPad and the iPad mini are supposed to be using IGZO screen technology.  If that's true then all production of current screens is due to wind down. 


     


    There is no reason at all to take this as an indication of product popularity (or lack of it).  



     


     


    AI did not cover an important aspect from the original article:


     


    "In addition to Sharp, Apple also buys iPad screens from LG Display Co Ltd, its biggest supplier, and Samsung Display, a flat-panel unit of Samsung Electronics.


    Both LG Display and Samsung Display declined to comment.


    A source at Samsung Display, however, said there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple, which has been steadily reducing panel purchases from the South Korean firm.


    A person who is familiar with the situation at LG Display said iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December, mainly due to weak seasonal demand that is typical after the busy year-end holiday sales period."


    http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-sharp-ipad-idUKBRE90H0BZ20130118


     


    /shrug  


     


    I wish it meant they were cutting these panels to 7.85" for a spring refresh but the play appears to be idling.


  • Reply 55 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


     



     



     


    At least now we know where Microsoft got the idea for Windows 8.

  • Reply 56 of 111
    FWIW, I had to wait a week and a half to get my iPad 4 64gb AT&T from Best Buy as the entire region was out of stock...
  • Reply 57 of 111
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    bluefish86 wrote: »
    I hope Apple's smarter than to try and race everyone to the bottom. Their market share is shrinking, but their share of the industry's *profits* is still huge. That's where Apple excels. As long as they hold on to the high end, they're fine with a 20-30% market share by device count.
    Why does everybody always assume Apple releasing a less expensive version of something = a race to the bottom? Apple has always offered a budget item in every product line they sell. And none of it constitutes a race to the bottom.

    And catering to just the high end is a bad business strategy too. Apple found this out in the early 90s when they lost their exclusivity of the Macintosh GUI. And I don't think this is what they are interested in doing. They seem to have a firm grasp of where to price products for the middle class consumer. But they also know that restricts bringing new users into the fold. So just like they provided entry level iPod products, and Macs, they appear to be offering entry level iOS products now. And have you seen the educational discounts? Apple offers some ridiculously low prices to students, teachers and schools. Where's the inflated profit margin on those? why arent the shareholders in an uproar over that? And what is the Apple TV? It's a cheap plastic box that competes directly with the Roku and others ... Hardly a high end Apple product. Why then? It's called seed planting and Apple gets that. They aren't "fine" with less than a third of the market. Why do people keep saying that like this is Apple's motto? What business would be?

    Apple's strength is in its brand image and innovation. But consumers aren't dumb. Once other brands catch up to Apple's innovation, consumers recognize they are paying for a name or an image. That's what eventually happened to Cadillac as innovation and build quality dropped, but prices stayed the same, as other luxury brands caught up and surpassed them. While Apple is in no danger of going down the road Cadiallac took over the las 40 years, Android is quickly catching up in much the same way as Microsoft did in the 90s. Apple tried to innovate in other ways, the Newton, consumer products like the Quick Take, Power CD, Pippin, TV boxes -- sound familiar? History is repeating itself, but this time Apple did it right. If they let the competition blur the lines between iOS and Android, or even Windows, then they will lose the edge they have now. Since they can't really keep the competition from catching up as patent after patent is invalidated, then they need more customers invested in the iOS ecosystem. And they do that by buildings few quality products that are priced to sell for less, not a race to the bottom to undercut the competition. And by continuing to create category defining products that encourage adoption of other Apple products, just like the iPod and iPhone encouraged the adoption of the Mac.
  • Reply 58 of 111
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    gatorguy wrote: »
    Not just buying cheaper Androids, but simply buying less expensive tablets period.

    IMHO there's little chance of Apple continuing to command $500+ prices for an iPad over the long haul. Why spend upwards of 100% more for one over another if they both serve the same purpose and just as efficiently for your intended use? <span style="line-height:1.231;">Give it another 24 months or less and I predict you'll see some entry-level tablet given away free with a contract for content subscription.</span>
    <strong style="line-height:1.231;">There's already at least one tablet being sold that reportedly cost less than $40 to build.</strong>

    http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/28/aakash-2-hands-on/
    I have my doubts about this. How long can companies sell hardware at cost when there's no real evidence content is a money maker? As long as Apple can show value for money and provide a superior user experience I don't think they need to play in a race to the bottom. They didn't do it with Mac's and I don't see them doing it with their idevices either. But this is where I think Apple really needs to double down on software & services. That's where one could argue they're falling behind (at least on the services side).
  • Reply 59 of 111

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mac_128 View Post



    ... And catering to just the high end is a bad business strategy too. Apple found this out in the early 90s when they lost their exclusivity of the Macintosh GUI. ...

    ... Once other brands catch up to Apple's innovation, ... History is repeating itself, ...


     


    I don't think you have an understanding of the history of personal computing if you think "catering to just the high end" is what happened to Apple in the 90s, or that it had anything to do with Microsoft's success with Windows in that era. Which more or less undermines your whole contention that, "History is repeating itself." It isn't.


     


    Once again we have this tired argument that pretends that Apple is just sitting there doing nothing, while everyone else catches up. Try to maintain a grip on reality. Flights of fancy can be fun, but they don't really work so well as rational argument.

  • Reply 60 of 111
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by frxntier View Post



    Unless iOS 7 really ups the anti, I'll be switching to WP 8 I reckon... I'm not surprised demand has fallen for iPhone 5.


     


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