Analyst: iPad mini could be in short supply at first

24.10.2012
The lower-priced could be in short supply when it starts shipping on November 2. Expected high demand for the tablet, coupled with shortages on the panel supply chain, might lead to not enough iPad Minis to satisfy market demand, according to a from Richard Shim, a senior analyst for NPD DisplaySearch, a market research firm specializing in displays.

Shim wrote: "As is typical, we expect the iPads to be supply constrained initially, especially the iPad mini with its $329 price. The new low price point is expected to appeal to a wider audience and drive up demand. However, panel supply chain indications point to an even more than typical tightness in the market for the iPad Mini."

The comes with a 7.9-inch display with a resolution of 1024 pixels by 768 pixels, a dual core A5 processor, and dual cameras.

According to Shim, Apple is expanding its supplier base with new partners for the iPad mini in addition to LG Display, who supplies panels to Foxconn for the finished product. LG shipped 300,000 panels in September, and plans to ship 1 million in October, 2.5 million in November, and 3 million in December.

A new Apple display supplier, AUO, will send panels to Pegatron, a company that, like LG Display, assembles them for the finished tablet.