14 DAY TRIAL // If your kids are die-hard Apple fans, and if you have high hopes of putting a smile on their faces this Christmas, consider taking that trip to the Apple store sooner rather than later.
It’s no mystery that Apple’s iDevices are some of the most craved for Christmas gifts, topping every wish list for the past three years or so.
If your family is in the same boat, consider buying the goods when sales kick off on November 1. According to sources in Apple’s supply chain, shipments of the new iPad mini with Retina display will be severely constrained in the next few months.
“The availability of the iPad mini with Retina display may not be enough to meet market demand because Sharp's supply of 7.9-inch Retina display panels based on its Oxide TFT process is seeing low yield rates,” sources in the Taiwan supply chain told DigiTimes.
Apple sources its Retina displays from LG, Sharp, AU Optronix, Innolux, and Samsung in various quantities depending on each supplier’s capacity. The orders also include screens for the bigger version of the tablet, the iPad Air.
Even with so many suppliers, Apple is having a rough time fulfilling demand for the tablets, and especially for the newest iPad mini, which comes with updated specifications, including the crisp Retina display.
Various analysts with ties to Apple’s supply chain have long warned that Retina screen production will be constrained this year. This report from Taiwan simply confirms those fears.
The iPad mini with Retina display is the second generation of Apple’s diminutive tablet computer, touted by many as the most portable tablet ever created.
In addition to the crisp display, the tablet packs an A7 chip capable of executing 64-bit operations, a 10-hour battery life, and offers access to roughly half a million apps designed specifically for tablet use.
It comes in Silver and Space Gray, retails for $399 / €389, and will be available this Friday, November 1, at your local Apple store.