14 DAY TRIAL // An analyst with AVI Securities has reportedly gained knowledge that Apple’s tablet PC is now in full production. Rumors saying part suppliers were tapped for extremely large orders also seem to be confirmed, with the analyst telling clients the parts have been in the supply chain for quite a while.
Analyst Matt Thornton at AVI Securities said in a note on Friday that Apple had already kicked off manufacturing of its yet unconfirmed tablet, according to Electronista. The tech-focused site cites the analyst as saying that, "The parts have been in the supply chain for some time but that the finished products are now in ‘full production’ for release soon," following talks with an unnamed component supplier. "The iPhone designer had supposedly planned to start assembly late in 2009 but encountered a delay that impacted some suppliers who had expected the increased business," the report adds, based on the analyst’s note.
Thornton reportedly also noted that NAND flash memory demands might have increased specifically to accommodate the tablet’s hardware, believed to include a 10-inch display. The Mac maker, as Softpedia itself reported recently, is rumored to have secured truckloads of such 10-inch panels in anticipation of high demand.
A designer for a firm wishing to remain anonymous reportedly told TG Daily that Asian suppliers were experiencing 10.1-inch OLED, LED display shortages. "We were designing a product for a customer and we needed 10 inch screens, but we've been trying for months and can't get one from any of the Asian suppliers," this person alleged. Going by these unconfirmed findings, the AVI Securities analyst claims Apple may build as many as ten million units in the first year.
Electronista adds that Thornton’s info falls in line with speculation surrounding a planned January 27 event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where Apple is rumored to have secured a stage for the tablet’s big debut.