Components roll off assembly line for the next 9.7 inch Apple iPad

Those companies involved in supplying Apple with the components necessary for the tech titan's next-gen 9.7 inch tablet, are beginning to increase production of these parts. The tablet, rumored to be called the Apple iPad Air 2, is expected to be thinner than its predecessor, and powered with the new A8 chip. The device is rumored to be getting a bump in RAM to 2GB, and is expected to offer the Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded in its Home button. Pictures allegedly showing the rear shell of the device, reveal some cosmetic changes to the design of the speaker on the slate. According to sources, the screen will stay the same at 9.7 inches, with a resolution of  2048 x 1536.

Among the suppliers receiving orders from Apple for the iPad Air 2, are touch panel producers TPK and GIS. Meanwhile, non Apple vendors in the supply chain are expecting limited orders as the tablet market continues to be in the doldrums. Some of the problems facing the market are being blamed on the increasingly larger sizes of smartphone screens, and the longer replacement cycle for slates.

While Apple has a media event scheduled for September 9th, Apple's next-gen tablets are expected to sit that one out. Instead, we should see the Apple iPad Air 2 and the third iteration of the Apple iPad mini both introduced next month, at the earliest.

source: DigiTimes