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Expect shortages of Apple iPad mini with Retina display

By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 30, 2013, 1:25 AM

Expect shortages of Apple iPad mini with Retina display

Limited supplies of the 7.9 inch Sharp panel for the new Apple iPad mini with Retina display, could lead to shortages of the tablet when it is released next month. The word from Taiwan based supply chain sources is that Sharp is having problems producing the panel using the Oxide TFT process. Korean manufacturer LG Display is having better luck using a-Si process and is the suppler for 60% of the panels used for the iPad mini with Retina display. Sharp accounts for the remaining 40% which explains why a low yield from Sharp's factory could create shortages of the tablet globally.

Apple could have had more sources for the tablet's panel. AU Optronics and Innolux have both tried to get some business from Apple for the new 7.9 inch tablet, but both were turned down..

Meanwhile, LG Display is also responsible for 60% of the panels used on the 9.7 inch Apple iPad Air. The remaining 40% is produced by Samsung Display.

source: DigiTimes

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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