iPad mini 2012 shipments forecast slashed as AU Optronics can't deliver enough screens?

If AU Optronics continues to have issues with manufacturing, total iPad mini shipments for 2012 might drop to 6 to 8 million units, down from the initial projections for 10 million devices.

First whispers about a second-gen iPad mini planned for launch in the second half of 2013 have also come about. Sources are saying it might even come with a Retina display, but while possible that seems like a stretch to us.

It seems logical for an eventual Retina iPad mini to have the same resolution as the 4th gen iPad, or otherwise Apple would have to ask developers to recode their apps like it did with the iPhone 5. And if the 2048 x 1536-pixel screen does arrive on the mini, that would require a huge battery to keep the battery life as it is, and that in turn would ruin the thin and light form factor.

So it seems that buying the iPad mini right now is a pretty safe step, and you won’t be suffering from buyer’s remorse soon after. What do you think, could a Retina iPad mini arrive as soon as next year?

source: DigiTimes