Display Suppliers' Production Numbers Support Upcoming Boost in iPad 2 Shipments

ipad 2 displayLast week, DigiTimes reported that Apple would be targeting shipments of 12-14 million iPad 2s during the third quarter of 2011, and a new report backs up that conclusion with claims that Apple's touch panel suppliers pushed out five million units in June and plan to produce another five million in July.

Five million touch sensors for the iPad 2 will be shipped in July, according to sources with Apple's supply chain.

Shipments in June were also five million, with TPK Holding and Wintek supplying 1.4-1.6 million units each and the remaining by Cando, Sintek Photronic and Chimei Innolux (CMI), the sources indicated.

Display production has been one bottleneck for Apple in meeting iPad customer demand, even dating back to the original iPad. Wintek and TPK were Apple's initial suppliers for the touch components, but the company was forced to add additional suppliers such as Cando in order to meet its production goals.

Apple has been said to be soaking up 60% of the global supply of touch panels for 2011, putting pressure on smaller manufacturers who are having a difficult time securing components for their own devices.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

ri0ku Avatar
180 months ago
(http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/26/97469494.jpg/)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DiamondMac Avatar
180 months ago
Just more proof that there evidently won't be an iPad 3 this year :)

There is absolutely not a single piece of "proof" that an iPad3 was ever coming in 2011. Only rumors from "sources"

Why anyone would actually think that Apple would push out an iPad 3 when the iPad 2 is murdering everyone else INCLUDING the recently pushed-out tablets....is mind-boggling to me.

iPad 2 demand is so strong that they still require 'weeks' to get one online...well ok, 1-2 now.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Biolizard Avatar
180 months ago
What was that about a Retina iPad 3 in September?

Edit: Clearly needed a </sarcasm> tag
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zunjine Avatar
180 months ago
The question has to be why would Apple release an iPad 3 so soon? Why would a company who has only just released a sizeable update to a product (anyone who claims it's a minor update is ignoring the facts - much better processor, massively improved graphics performance, cameras, gyroscope and a third thinner!) and can't even yet keep up with demand for that product spend a huge amount of money in order to make that product obsolete? I would understand this if the iPad 2 was selling poorly but it isn't.

There is no argument for this idea that makes any sense. Could it happen? It's not beyond the realms of the possible. But is there any reason to expect it? No. No reason at all.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zunjine Avatar
180 months ago
I dont think it will happen. But I do think there are good reasons for it too happen.

Keeps Apple in the news, keeps them remaining on top and shocks competition with a new product that they are desperately trying to keep up with.

Although I dont think much could change other than the screen for the moment.. or the size. If they released a 7" that to me would be cool for a small ebook reader (wouldnt buy one though as I own the original ipad) doubt they would release a smaller size, doesnt seem to be a demand for it and jobs doesnt like them either.

So possibly either the screen resolution being better with some better graphics I suppose maybe processor bump (small) its quite hard to think what could be a significant change in order to sell a 3rd gen so quick.

Size seems to be the only drastic change that could be made at the moment.

But the costs are massive in developing a new product. This plan would cut off the iPad 2 in its prime and, well, they're already beating the competition handily right now. The gains are tiny but the costs are huge.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alent1234 Avatar
180 months ago
Although I don't quite agree with the possibility of an iPad 3 release this year, you do make a compelling point here. Maybe a Christmas release?

other than video games who releases anything before christmas?

most of the parts in the ipad 2 come out early in the year for testing and engineering so the product can ship early the next year. not like apple makes or designs most of the internal parts
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)