Apple Pulls Back on iPad 2 Display Orders as iPad 3 Production Begins to Ramp Up

[MacRumors]

Digitimes reports that Apple has pulled back on its fourth-quarter orders for iPad 2 display panels, although the reduction appears to be part of an overall strategy to prepare for the launch of the iPad 3 early next year rather than a shortfall in customer demand. According to the report, Apple stockpiled components for an extra 4-5 million iPad 2 units during the third quarter, allowing it to reduce its orders for the fourth quarter.

Sales of iPads at the end market totaled 11.12 million units in the third quarter of 2011, according to data released by Apple. However, inventories of parts and components prepared by the makers in the supply chain for the production of iPad 2 in the quarter are sufficient for the production of 15-16 million iPads, leaving a stockpile of 4-5 million units of iPad 2 in the supply chain, the sources noted.

That explanation is in line with claims from analyst Chris Caso following rumors in late September that Apple would be cutting fourth-quarter iPad production. Caso claimed that Apple had "pulled in" production from the fourth quarter to the third quarter, accelerating its manufacturing timetable ahead of the holiday quarter.

The reason for this stockpiling of iPad 2 components appears to be preparations for the iPad 3 launch, as Digitimes also notes that suppliers of both display and touch panels for the iPad 3 have either already begun or will soon begin shipments to Apple.

While Apple is adjusting panel inventory for iPad 2, Samsung and Sharp already began shipping panels for the next-generation iPads to Apple in October, and Taiwan-based touch panel makers TPK Holding and Wintek will begin to ship touch panels for the new iPads to the supply chain in November-December, the sources noted.

The iPad 3 has been rumored to see an early 2012 introduction and is expected to carry a higher-resolution "Retina" display, although display suppliers have been said to be struggling to produce the panels in volume.

Article Link: Apple Pulls Back on iPad 2 Display Orders as iPad 3 Production Begins to Ramp Up

 

[AAPLaday]

Is this the same analyst who said iPad 3 for fall of this year?

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

iPad + retina display would be unstoppable.

 

[BC2009]

If iPad 3 has retina display I will hold to my plan of "sell the old iPad and buy the new one each year". Now that I retina display on the iPhone 4S I can't believe the difference.

 

[radge]

Is this the same analyst who said iPad 3 for fall of this year?

Probably, and I heard from an anonymous source that he's best friends with the analyst who predicted the "teardrop" iPhone 5.

 

[Gol27]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I think AAPLaday hit the nail on the head. It's all pure speculation. Doesn't an early 2012 release mean it will probably be without the A6?

 

[Abyssgh0st]

The looming iPad 3 release (hopefully less than four months) is the only thing holding me back from buying an iPad 2 today. Retina display and a bit more speed would make the device perfect.

 

[Wickedgardengtp]

I will have this iPad 3!!!!

 

[sportsfan]

Need the Retina

I've been holding off on the iPad until it get's the Retina display. If iPad 3 doesn't have it...guess my year will be 2013.

 

[k3ith]

I've been holding off on the iPad until it get's the Retina display. If iPad 3 doesn't have it...guess my year will be 2013.

Same for me too. I have no need for another iPad until it has retina display.

 

[nfl46]

The iPad definitely needs a screen resolution update. It would be even better if it was more crisp.

 

[Consultant]

Too early to begin production for iPad 3.

 

[topmounter]

A friend of mine who works for Tylenol says they're ramping
up Q1 production in anticipation of the upcoming iPad 3D

 

[Mad-B-One]

Uh?

Wasn't there just a revamp of the iPad 2 in line with better battery life and lighter? Retina display, yea, right! As if the trouble of production lifted like a miracle... It will probably be the "iPad 2S" - mark my words! They also will probably go the same way with 3G having just one for all networks instead of one for CDMA and one for GSM.

Well, I have both generation iPad 3G 64GB and unless there is a major difference coming with the next iteration, I will hold off on reinvesting. I bought the 2nd Gen only because of the cameras for skyping with family. Even a retina display will not cut it for me. It would be a cool feature but the display is not that bad to begin with and I could imagine that a retina display will cut battery life drastically and that downfall I am not willing to take.

 

[gadget123]

iPad + retina display would be unstoppable.

Would always be somebody who claims Andorid tablets has a better Super bright LCD display though.

 

[Confuzzzed]

iPads do >90% of what 90% of people use their laptops for. If the processors continue improving (to allow more robust photo editing and 'creativity') the world will be using iPads instead of laptops in 3 years time. Don't care about the display. Give me A6!

 

[Thunderhawks]

The iPad definitely needs a screen resolution update. It would be even better if it was more crisp.

Yep, definitely!

... did you go and see your eye doctor? Maybe it's not the ipad resolution?

11.12 million people more with eye strain after the initial millions of ipad 1 users.

On a side note, I wish MR would stop showing the Galaxy in this article, looks just like an ipad.

 

[smiddlehurst]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I think AAPLaday hit the nail on the head. It's all pure speculation. Doesn't an early 2012 release mean it will probably be without the A6?

Depends what the A6 actually is really. If it's using Cortex A15 then yes, March 2012 (assuming a 12 month cycle) would likely be too soon. But if the A6 is, f'instance, a quad core A9 with quad core graphics (effectively what's installed in the Sony Vita) then it'd be about perfect timing.

Honestly I'm almost sure Apple wants to go Retina with the iPad 3, the question now is can they get enough panels produced in time (and for a suitable price). If they do, and throw an A6 in (kinda required if they want to keep graphics performance with that resolution panel in-line with the iPad 2) then I'll be upgrading on day 1.

 

[acslater017]

The looming iPad 3 release (hopefully less than four months) is the only thing holding me back from buying an iPad 2 today. Retina display and a bit more speed would make the device perfect.

I would also add that the front-facing camera needs some improvement. Just last night I was trying to FaceTime, and the camera's exposure seems more finicky than the iPhone's. I know they're both VGA but subjectively it felt much worse. It was just me in my bedroom, with a fairly even (to human eyes) lighting from a standing lamp. But it kept exposing for my wall and making me appear like a shadow...That, and the iPad's 10" display is less forgiving than the iPhone's 3.5"...FaceTime HD would be sweet, or even just AE/AF, but I don't know if that's feasible.

But yea, all I'd like to see in the iPad 3 is:
-Retina Display (or something like it)
-stereo speakers; not so much for quality as to prevent sound from being blocked; put one on bottom right and one on top left and you'll almost never block both!
-upgraded camera(s)
-unlikely: native compatibility with Bluetooth video game controllers

 

[brdeveloper]

Same for me too. I have no need for another iPad until it has retina display.

I have no need for a tablet until it runs <<serious>> productivity apps. Super high-res (retina) is welcome too. If Microsoft brings a mobile+desktop OS with Windows 8, I'll certainly buy a Microsoft tablet. Otherwise, if Apple produces an "iOS X" until then, I'll prefer Apple's one as I like OSX Unix/POSIX tools.

 

[Confuzzzed]

Depends what the A6 actually is really. If it's using Cortex A15 then yes, March 2012 (assuming a 12 month cycle) would likely be too soon. But if the A6 is, f'instance, a quad core A9 with quad core graphics (effectively what's installed in the Sony Vita) then it'd be about perfect timing.

I think (very subjective, and don't have the data to back this up) that the iPhone 4S seems zippier than the iPad 2. Despite using the same processor (seemingly). Or is it honey moon period with a new device?

 

[nfl46]

Yep, definitely!

... did you go and see your eye doctor? Maybe it's not the ipad resolution?

11.12 million people more with eye strain after the initial millions of ipad 1 users.

On a side note, I wish MR would stop showing the Galaxy in this article, looks just like an ipad.

What?

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

It's all pure speculation.

Really! That is pretty unnatural for such a site, like MR.

Not!?

 

[Mad-B-One]

iPads do >90% of what 90% of people use their laptops for. If the processors continue improving (to allow more robust photo editing and 'creativity') the world will be using iPads instead of laptops in 3 years time. Don't care about the display. Give me A6!

You are absolutely correct. I switched from Netbook to iPad because it...
uses 100% of the screen to edit/use an application.
doesn't have unnecessary task bars.
doesn't have a fan distracting from what you have to listen to etc.
doesn't need a virus scanner.
has at least twice the battery life.
is lighter.
does everything I need faster.

Yes, there are drawbacks but they are not prohibitive for me.

 

[BC2009]

Would always be somebody who claims Andorid tablets has a better Super bright LCD display though.

Actually they would refer to some "Ultra Mega Super AMLOED Double-Plus with Cherry on Top" display.

Honestly, I cannot keep track of Samsung's display technology names for AMOLED displays.

I just recently discovered that the only AMOLED display that does not use those horrid sub-pixels that remind of the Apple IIc hi-res graphics is the one with the moniker "Super AMOLED Plus". All the others leverage those nasty sub pixels that try to make a single "white" pixel by placing two or more colored pixels adjacent to each other -- such displays require MUCH MUCH higher DPI to come close to the look of the Retina Display -- just one more case where the specs are misleading on DPI. It is similar to buying sheets where sometimes "thread count" means actual threads and sometimes it means "fibers that make up the threads". Sorry that the best analogy I could think of is in the linens industry.