Apple Set to Increase Order of Thin-film Touch Panel in 3Q13
“Thin-film touch panel suppliers for Apple are expected to see a large increase in orders from the company in the third quarter of 2013 in preparation for the release of Apple’s next-generation iPad,” Siu Han and Alex Wolfgram report for Digitimes. “The new model is expected to use the same thin-film DITO (G/F2) touch panel structure as Apple’s current iPad mini, which would mean that Taiwan-based thin-film supplier TPK would be among one of the main suppliers of the technology, as it has been for the iPad mini.”
According to the duo, Apple made adjustment to shipment estimates for its iPad and iPad mini products in 2013 to 33 million and 55 million, respectively. These figures are revised from originally predicted shipments of approximately 60 million for 9.7-inch iPads and 40 million units for the iPad mini.
The iPad mini is also predicted to sell significantly better in 2013, which would be less thin-film type material area shipped per a Apple device for TPK, according to the report.
