Low Retina iPad Mini Production Reportedly Due to Burn-In Issue on Sharp's Display Panels

I said it previously and will say again, if all this talk of low screen yields is true then Tim Cook was either being inpenitent earlier this year when he said he learned a lesson launching the 27" iMac before it was readily available or he is a weak, scared non-leader, announcing the rMini before it was reason because he didn't think Apple's other recent products were as sexy.

Manufacturing issues happen. But Tim Cook understands logistics as well as anyone. Announcing a highly anticipated product for the holiday season that will essentially be vaporware due to low availability is poor way to treat customers. It makes Apple look like a big c*tease, and nobody appreciates those type of girls.

I know some here believe it's a cynical way to upsell to the Air, but new tablet buyers interested in the 7" want the 7" size and will go elsewhere if they can't find the rMini after a reasonable search. I'm sure Amazon and Samsung are ready to pounce.

We'll see if all this talk pans out to be true, but lots of wispers from too many independent sources to just dismiss it as totally baseless. I'm hoping false, but my faith in Tim Cook is lackluster to think its not possible.

DTphonehome said:

Really surprised Apple couldn't get this issue resolved earlier in the development cycle…

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What probably happened was that Apple tested their prototype devices with bad display panels, but Sharp promised that the problems were minor and would be fixed by November (Sharp didn't want to lose their lucrative Apple contract).

And Sharp couldn't fix their panels in time. Heads are probably rolling at Sharp.

I keep hovering over the buy button for an ipad air and I'd really like one of the retina minis.

But then at last minute I remind myself to never buy the 1st generation of a redesign again.

I'll wait till the public have finished beta testing them for a year

iHateLaggyStuff said:

Reading through all the armchair critics' comments make me LOL. I bet all of you know more about supplies than Apple and especially Tim Cook who is arguably the best supply manager in the industry.

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You read it here first folks. You are not allowed to have an opinion, nor comments on what apple does. If you don't like it, I'm sure (s)he'll tell you to start your own electronics company and produce your own products instead.

Skika said:

Combine this with the RAM issue with the A7 and its clear, im keeping my iPhone 5 and iPad 4 till the next gens.

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You're missing out, as the A7 is nice, even if it does have the same RAM as the A6 in your iPhone 5 and iPad 4. That said, I think the iPhone 6 will bring a more dramatic design change, and by next year we'll have more applications taking advantage of 64-bit.

macduke said:

Just as long as the issue isn't anywhere near as bad as it was on my 2012 Retina MacBook Pro (before Apple swapped the screen). Or my early 2011 iPad 2 which developed that issue over time near the top and bottom of the screen when in landscape. It's faint on my late 2012 27" iMac at work, but I deal with that. Apple really needs to get their crap together with their displays. Though it seems like the iPhone displays are always so good.

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You must not have had a yellow screened iPhone 4.

xterratop said:

I noticed how much Apple is trying to get more manufacturing done here on US soil which is a great thing- we need more jobs. But this iPad Mini retina is a hot mess. First of all, having Sharp supply them with the screens wasn't even the best decision in the first place. Sharp is such a crappy brand. Apple needs to manufacture their own parts here in the states where they can control the quality of the product. Come on Apple! Get with it!!!

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Making their own products is a big expense, shareholders will never allow it. They only care about this years profit, not long term viability.

I just can't quit you Samsung.

I guess I'm going to have to order within seconds of it coming online. Yay.

issues with Macbook Air prove that Samsung is and will always be the best screen supplier

Apple wants to get rid of Samsung but ends up buying panels from them, again and again


Apple will never learn lessons from the past

and who is going to wait again ? us

So, basically buy your iPad ASAP in order to get IGZO. Is there a way to find out which screen tech each iPad has? Before buying it?

to me, this should be the best iPad right now. if they could get it released

MacRumors said:

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]

Now, a report from Korean website ETNews (via Unwired View) has elaborated on the matter, with Sharp's IGZO panels for the Retina iPad mini said to be suffering from screen burn-in issues.

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Better "burn-in" than "burn-out"! A shop in Australia just went up in flames because of an iPad Air which got a "little bit" too hot and spit smoke and fire in a Vodafone store! (So NO! No 3rd party charger here, all original Apple equipment which blew big time!)

http://9to5mac.com/2013/11/08/vodaf...c-MacAllDay+(9+to+5+Mac+-+Apple+Intelligence)

"T-H-A-T - AIR - is on fireeeeee..., that - AIR - is on fireeee.....!"

Beware

I would just buy the iPad air if I'm shopping for an iPad! The mini is too small for me. Hopefully we'll get the bigger "iPad pro" next Spring.

Chill. Pill. Y'all. This is a rumors site, remember. Even if this is true, it may have only been a single batch of displays with unnoticeable burn-in. I'm pretty sure if the manufacturing problems were as serious as some people believe, Apple wouldn't have given an explicit November timeline. You can rest assured that this product will be released by Black Friday, and that it will perform admirably. In the off chance I am wrong, don't forget Apple has incredible customer service that won't leave you out in the cold (as long as you're under warranty ).

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In other words... EVERYBODY PANIC

troop231 said:

Hopefully Apple gets their screen quality/yields up on all their product lines, including the rMBP!

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After three display replacements... hope that too!!!

Return Zero said:

I'm pretty sure if the manufacturing problems were as serious as some people believe, Apple wouldn't have given an explicit November timeline.

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Personally, after last holiday season's 27" iMac debacle, I don't put it past Tim Cook to launch product that will not necessarily be readily available. But, you are right everything to date is a rumor -- but credible when you connect all the dots. It's not like it comes from a single story in Digitimes.

kbmb said:

Please don't let this be an iPad 3 all over again.

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Experiencing the iPad 3 (2048 x 1536) as if it was a 27-inch iMac (2560 x 1440) in your hands, has been a revelation. Now one and a half year later this technology is ready to be carried with only one hand. Amazing all over again.

jayducharme said:

I'm unclear why Apple can't simply use the current retina display technology that they developed for the iPad Air.

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Because scaling sucks.

Skika said:

Combine this with the RAM issue with the A7 and its clear, im keeping my iPhone 5 and iPad 4 till the next gens.

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What RAM issue? Or are you referring to having 1GB RAM?

oliversl said:

So, basically buy your iPad ASAP in order to get IGZO. Is there a way to find out which screen tech each iPad has? Before buying it?

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But will it be able to have the same battery life with a different screen tech?
Never mind I just saw the update.

puma1552 said:

IGZOgate. Between the poor tints on the iPad Air and the not-released-but-already-bad screens on the mini retina, IGZO sounds like it just isn't mature enough for market yet, unfortunately.

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Poor tints? According to who? The iPad Airs screen is absolutely gorgeous. I've seen a much more consistent color temperature across all the Airs I've seen.

puma1552 said:

IGZOgate. Between the poor tints on the iPad Air and the not-released-but-already-bad screens on the mini retina, IGZO sounds like it just isn't mature enough for market yet, unfortunately.

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I have not seen an tint issue with my iPad Air. I have done a comparison of the same photos on the iPad Air, iPhone 5 and a 2011 27" iMac. Nothing had shown me that my iPad Air has any tint issue. Maybe there was/is a bad batch of IGZO screens.

jayducharme said:

I'm unclear why Apple can't simply use the current retina display technology that they developed for the iPad Air. The Mini screen is slightly smaller, so more of the displays could be produced (almost two for every one of the Air). The technology is stable and the resolution seems fine, a big gain over the current iPad Mini. Introduce the more advanced screen technologies when their suppliers work out the problems. It seems like it would be more important to just get the product on the shelves. Most consumers probably wouldn't notice the difference between the Air screen and the slightly higher res IGZO display of the Mini anyway.

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Apples decision to keep the exact same resolution on the retina mini as well as the iPad air/3/4 has everything to do with making the life of app developers as easy as possible. Ultimately resulting in better apps for all of us.
Seems like a very wise move to me.

The easy/lazy thing to do would have been to simply keep the PPI of the bigger iPad display and make a new display in a smaller size with less pixels — giving developers all the headaches rather than Apple themselves.

jayducharme said:

I'm unclear why Apple can't simply use the current retina display technology that they developed for the iPad Air. The Mini screen is slightly smaller, so more of the displays could be produced (almost two for every one of the Air). The technology is stable and the resolution seems fine, a big gain over the current iPad Mini. Introduce the more advanced screen technologies when their suppliers work out the problems. It seems like it would be more important to just get the product on the shelves. Most consumers probably wouldn't notice the difference between the Air screen and the slightly higher res IGZO display of the Mini anyway.

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Pretty easy: They dont want to introduce a new kind of resolution. It needs to have the same resolution as the ipad 3/4/air, but on a smaller screen, or all the apps and the OS have to be tailored to the new resolution.
That's why the ipad mini started with the resolution of the older non-retina ipads. Everything was already tailored to that resolution.

edit: damn it, too slow

Taz Mangus said:

What RAM issue? Or are you referring to having 1GB RAM?

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Im referring to the issue that 64 bit takes 20-30% more RAM because of 64bit making it cache less than 32 bit with the same amount of RAM.

Just look at the reports on the iPad forum.