Apple Delaying Mass Production of 12.9-Inch iPad to Deal with Strong iPhone 6 Plus Demand

[MacRumors]

Apple and its suppliers are delaying plans to mass produce the larger 12.9-inch iPad in order to deal with strong demand for the iPhone 6 Plus, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple was originally planning to mass produce the larger tablet in December, however the company has remained unsatisfied with the production output from its suppliers for its larger iPhone.

Mockup of a 12.9-inch iPad next to a 13-inch MacBook Air​

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"The top priority for the supply chain is to meet the overwhelming demand for the larger screen iPhones. The output of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus remains unsatisfactory," said a person at a supplier. "It would be challenging for display makers to split resources and spend a few months to ramp up production for a new larger screen iPad now."

The report also states that Foxconn is having issues with hiring enough factory workers to assemble the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus at its factory in Zhengzhou, China, making it even more difficult to begin production on a new device. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that the 12.9-inch iPad will feature a resolution similar to the current iPad Air's 2048 x 1536 display. Suppliers are also said to be preparing for mass production of the 12-inch MacBook Air in December, which follows similar information from a report yesterday.

A report from Bloomberg in August claimed that Apple would be launching the 12.9-inch iPad in early 2015 after plans for the tablet was put on hold earlier this year. However, that report also noted that the larger iPad would include a high pixel density that nears ultra high-definition quality. The larger tablet was said to be an effort to "shake up the iPad line" as sales of the iPad have been on the decline for the past two quarters.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPad Air 2 and next-generation Retina iPad mini along with new iMacs and perhaps a new Mac Mini at a special event next Thursday, October 16.

Article Link: Apple Delaying Mass Production of 12.9-Inch iPad to Deal with Strong iPhone 6 Plus Demand

 

[The Mercurian]

I simply don't believe this product exists.

 

[keysofanxiety]

These constant backtracking rumours are making me weary.

It seems this is the cycle:

1) Analyst makes an unsubstantiated guess on a new Apple product and its release date
2) No part leaks/product not released/product never existed
3) Analyst stipulates why this didn't come to fruition (e.g., iPhone demand, iOS bugs, Saturn's alignment with Jupiter)

I know I'm probably on the wrong website to make this comment, but it seems every time there's a rumour about an upcoming product, there's a conflicting rumour a few days later.

 

[robeddie]

Whenever they do start selling this giant iPad, it - along with the Apple watch - will be two of the most underwhelming products in Apples lineup in terms of sales.

And oh, by the way Apple - just making the same basic product thinner and/or bigger every once in a while doesn't count as ground breaking innovation.

 

[GuitarDTO]

The same iPhone 6 plus that:
Doesn't Exist
Won't Sell
Bends
Cuts Hair
Apple Doomed

 

[andreiru]

I've got the air and considering going smaller with the mini.

 

[iapplelove]

I simply don't believe this product exists.

You're right. The product doesn't exist

 

[Xeyad]

I just don't get why anyone would need a 13" iPad. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPad, and I use it every single day, but a 13" iPad seems like an overkill for what it's capable of. Wether we like it or not, a truly productive device needs a keyboard and a mouse, and iOS apps were never designed to have a mouse. Mac OS X on the other hand wasn't designed for touch interfaces, so I don't think we'll see a 13" Macbook Air Touch either.

Many of the great iPad apps fit perfectly at 10 inches, but at freaking 13" diagonally, they'll just be way too big and don't offer extra productivity over the 10" iPad, or maybe even the iPad Mini.

I think splitscreen multitasking on iOS will be gimmicky at best, and will complicate the experience even further.

 

[Wiesenlooser]

I just don't get why anyone would need a 13" iPad. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPad, and I use it every single day, but a 13" iPad seems like an overkill for what it's capable of. Wether we like it or not, a truly productive device needs a keyboard and a mouse, and iOS apps were never designed to have a mouse.

Who says it wont be able to do more?

Many Artists out there bought the Surface Pro line simply because it was a good drawing device. If the 13 Inch iPad had a digitizer Input device I would buy it day one.

 

[dmelgar]

I think a 13" iPad would be great, especially for business. Makes more sense than a giant phone where portability is more important. If a touch interface is great at 10" it's even better at 13".
They also need to add multiuser support to iOS like android has had for a while. That's why I bought a nexus last time around.
Merging and mixing of iOS and Mac OS X is inevitable. Just not sure it's going to happen yet.

 

[Tankmaze]

So no ipad pro launch in october 16 then?

Was hoping a surprise on the october event, oh well.

 

[eXoguti093]

I simply don't believe this product exists.

Just how many believed the 6+ didn't exist?

 

[goobot]

What if the 12 inch macbook and 12 inch iPad were the same device? A hybrid?

On a separate note that concept of a 12 inch iPad next to the 13 inch macbook has the iPad with a much larger screen

 

[Xeyad]

Who says it wont be able to do more?

Many Artists out there bought the Surface Pro line simply because it was a good drawing device. If the 13 Inch iPad had a digitizer Input device I would buy it day one.

But the problem with this idea is that it only caters to a small niche of market. The iPad is a mass-market device, as it meant to do what a majority of people use a PC for: web-browsing, social media, videos, e-mail, and some light productivity like some word-processing or making videos in iMovie. A 13" iPad would be a total waste if it's limited to that kind of usage, and I don't see how anyone would find a much better use for it over the 10" iPad.

As for a digitizer, one can only dream of Apple doing such thing. But seriously, if they do it, then it would truly mark the end of the Steve Jobs-era of Apple.

 

[CiccioAtSea]

I would never believe to this article,
my only concern is that it is coming from WSJ...

 

[Dougie83]

I don't know why Apple don't ask Samsung to help out with the production. They could do with some work given they're struggling to make a profit.

 

[Col4bin]

EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

Typically before Apple's big event, it's rumors of delays due to supply chain constraints, or something's wrong with a certain part or component, blah, blah, blah... And now it's "not enough worker's at Foxconn to assemble iPhones and iPads"--this is hysterical! I literally spit out my coffee when I wasn't even drinking any.

These type of fear mongering, Apple's doomed, let's pee on Apple before their big event rumors are getting old.

 

[bax2003]

Apple delays somethimg which did not even anaunced.

GREAT rumor.

 

[kolax]

Surely Apple can manage this! Maybe they need to use some of that massive cash reserve to hire some more folk and create more production lines...

 

[xmichaelp]

I simply don't believe this product exists.

That's what people said about the 6 plus, ipad mini, etc. Prepare to be shocked.

 

[dylin]

I really can't see apple trying to make a that iPad pro. I don't know if there are any stand alone tablets right now larger than 10.1 like the galaxy tab pro.

 

[Imory]

Who says it wont be able to do more?

Many Artists out there bought the Surface Pro line simply because it was a good drawing device. If the 13 Inch iPad had a digitizer Input device I would buy it day one.

How big is that market though?

 

[xmichaelp]

And oh, by the way Apple - just making the same basic product thinner and/or bigger every once in a while doesn't count as ground breaking innovation.

Breakthrough discovery there. I take it you're one who expects apple to make a completely revolutionary product every year?

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I think splitscreen multitasking on iOS will be gimmicky at best, and will complicate the experience even further.

I agree. All the android multitasking solutions look so cumbersome and terrible. I would never use them. Let's stop trying to make tablets what they're not, productivity devices. They excel at consumption, that's what they should focus on.

 

[cdmoore74]

I've got the air and considering going smaller with the mini.

Make me a iPad mini with 2GB of Ram, 32GB to start, touchid and make the screen better (not resolution but quality) and I might be interested. But I have a feeling their going to do the 16GB base and 64GB for $100 more.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Maybe they should set up a automated factory stateside.