According to a new report from Digitimes, Apple is more than 10 million units of the 9.7-inch iPad Air devices, according to industry sources. This number obviously does not include Apple’s best selling iPad – the iPad mini.
“The company’s supply chains started gearing up for the release of a new 9.7-inch iPad in the third quarter and expect to see strong orders from the company as Apple anticipates a surge in shipments exceeding 10 million units during the fourth quarter largely due to the year-end holidays,” Rebecca Kuo and Alex Wolfgram. “The next-generation 9.7-inch iPad is expected to come with IPS panels supplied by LG Display, Samsung Display and Sharp, with LG responsible for 70% of shipments, Samsung 20% and Sharp 10%.”
Apple has reportedly struck deals with the following suppliers for parts and assembly: Japan-based Nitto Denko and Nissha Printing are supplying the touch panels, with GF2 technology, Radiant Opto-Electronics providing backlighting units (BLUs) and Foxconn Electronics will remain as the main assembler for the device.
Additionally, the report suggests that Apple will be releasing a larger-size iPhone and a 12.85-inch tablet product in the second half of 2014. The Cuperitno-based company is also likely to unveil their rumored Apple iTV and iWatch next year, the report said.
I was initially disappointed by the lack of new and exciting products at the Apple event yesterday. However, this Daring Fireball article puts things into prospective.
Tim Cook: “I don’t want to be more specific, but I’m just saying we’ve got some really great stuff coming in the fall and across all of 2014.”
Gruber:
….Those two phrases I’ve highlighted in bold aren’t necessarily related. Cook said Apple sees opportunities in new product categories, and had new products lined up for introduction in the fall of this year, but it doesn’t follow from his words that Apple has a product in a new category to introduce in the fall of this year.
It’d be great if Apple does have something altogether new to unveil next week, but if they don’t, it won’t contradict what Cook said in April.