Apple Asks LG Display for Urgent Supply of LCD Panels to Meet iPad Demand in Asia

Apple has asked LG Display to urgently supply LCD panels for iPads, following a surge in orders for tablet PCs and laptop monitors in the wake of the global health crisis, reports Business Korea.

Apple has recently asked LG Display to supply LCD panels for the iPad fast. LG Display is expected to start supplying them as early as June by operating the production lines at full throttle.

Apple originally cut orders for the second quarter of this year in anticipation of significantly reduced contraction in the market following the health crisis.

However, by March iPad stocks were reportedly running low in China, as parents bought them to help with e-learning at home in response to school closures.

In normal circumstances, this would be positive news for Apple, but with suppliers severely affected by the global health crisis, the company was unable to keep ‌‌‌iPad‌‌‌ stocks plentiful to meet the increased demand because of local labor shortages amid government-imposed lockdown restrictions.

Apple's request is unusual given that suppliers are typically given at least three months advance notice so they can source raw materials and manufacture products.

However, "Since BOE of China and Sharp of Japan are also major suppliers of panels for the Apple ‌iPad‌, LG Display needs to respond quickly to Apple's request not to lose the order to its rivals,” an industry insider told the paper.

Samsung Display is expected to provide nearly 80 percent of the OLED displays used in this year's "iPhone 12" lineup, while LG Display and BOE are expected to split the display supplies for the low-end 6.1-inch model, with LG supplying the vast majority with 18-23 million panels and BOE providing two million.