AppleInsider Staff
A new report out of East Asia claims Apple will begin mass production of the fifth-generation iPad in July or August ahead of a third quarter launch, while the ramp-up for the next iPad mini has been pushed back to November.
Citing sources at Apple's partner suppliers in Taiwan, DigiTimes reports the redesigned 9.7-inch iPad will see a production window between July and August, with initial shipments reaching 5 million units by the end of September.
The publication notes Apple's flagship tablet will see an expected design change, with thinner bezels and a slimmer profile bringing it more in line with the current iPad mini.
As for the next-gen mini, these sources say production has been pushed back one month to November, though the reason for the delay is unclear. Market watchers speculate that Apple may be staggering the two product introductions as the mini negatively impacted sales of the full-size iPad last year. Another theory is that the supply chain simply can't meet the original build schedule.
With the delay, the total number of iPads shipped during 2013 could be lower than earlier forecasts of 80 to 100 million units, with shipment weighting at 65 percent for the 9.7-inch iPad and 35 percent for the mini.
There has been a glut of rumors regarding the upcoming next-generation iPads, though most point to to major changes in design for the 9.7-inch version, while the 7.9-inch iPad mini will receive a high-resolution Retina display.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been reliable in predicting Apple's product moves, believes both tablets will be launched in the third quarter, though the fifth-generation iPad will see a slightly earlier release as the "iPad mini 2" has hit development issues.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
29 Comments
Well, I guess it wouldn't be "Apple" if there weren't some kind of backlog, bottleneck, production-manufacture-parts-assembly problem.
[quote name="isaidso" url="/t/157835/rumor-apple-to-start-next-gen-ipad-production-in-july-ipad-mini-in-november#post_2337967"]Well, I guess it wouldn't be "Apple" if there weren't some kind of backlog, bottleneck, production-manufacture-parts-assembly problem.[/quote] You mean [I]rumours[/I] of problems, right? Overall this news is good news for Apple's mindshare. As soon as people stop caring about Apple's supply and production chain months in advance for every single product and sites like this aren't there to report on them is when Apple will finally and truly be screwed.
Spacing out full size and mini iPad launches makes perfect sense. Launching them simultaneously dilutes the focus, saturates the supply chain, and probably decreases sales.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't be "Apple" if there weren't some kind of backlog, bottleneck, production-manufacture-parts-assembly problem."
Your post would have some merit if Apple wasn't the most proficient company in the fucking world when it comes to shipping massive #s of product and having extremely smooth launches compared to everyone else. Who else can sell 5 million of a brand new, extremely complex smartphone in a single weekend? Not another company on earth. Also, this is a rumor, and even if true, does not mean there's any issues or delays. Launching a new flagship electronics product, globally, in the millions, is ridiculously complex. Launching TWO simulatenously is just stupid, especially for a company like Apple, where every tiny issue is magnified a thousand fold.
[quote name="Slurpy" url="/t/157835/rumor-apple-to-start-next-gen-ipad-production-in-july-ipad-mini-in-november#post_2337970"] [COLOR=181818]Your post would have some merit if Apple wasn't the most proficient company in the fucking world when it comes to shipping massive #s of product. Launching TWO simulatenously is just stupid. [/COLOR] [/quote] Until you're asked to do it... Oh, and your job may be on the line if its too "stupid" for you to accomplish. I won't fire you, but I need someone in this chair that knows how to drive. If you're going to work for this company, we don't want you to operate like a tuned 800hp Fiat Punt, we need you to run everything like you're a 750hp Pagani Huyara. (Disclaimer). I have no idea what the car analogy actually means, however contextually it made me laugh earlier. I'll look it up tomorrow in my spare time if I'm lucky.
Outside of a A7 processor and extended battery life what more can they do with these iDevices?