14 DAY TRIAL // Apple partners in Asia have begun moving iPad 3 parts as Foxconn expects orders from Cupertino to start building the third-generation of tablets early next year, according to industry sources close to Taiwan’s Digitimes.
The Asian trade publication reveals that a trio of flat panel makers doing business with Apple have shipped a total of one million “high-resolution” units for “next-generation iPads” to Apple in October.
Samsung, LG and Sharp will all ramp up their activity to reach two million units shipped this month, industry sources have said.
The same people noted that iPad 3 displays are “comparable” to those of the previous-generation iPads, though no technical specifications are dished out.
However, the report mentions that said screens are of “high-resolution” and there has been a lot of chatter about Retina displays for Apple’s next iPad lately.
Also noted in the report is that touch module makers TPK Holding and Wintek are expected to begin shipping their own products in mid-November to December.
Over 1 million of these digitizer panels will emerge each month from combined shipments, said the sources.
The same people assessed that Apple's contract manufacturer, Foxconn Electronics, will kick off assembly of the new iPad in January 2012, judging from the shipments of panels and related parts.
Apparently, the Taiwanese paper won’t let rumors of a 7-inch iPad dissipate, noting that Apple is also reportedly receiving samples of “a new panel in 7.85-inch size” from AU Optronics (AUO) and LG Display
The samples are said to have been delivered to Apple “for verification,” which means that a 7-inch iPad may be in prototype phase still. The company has publicly stated that it didn’t believe the 7-inch form factor would work to the benefit of the user.
The Asian sources themselves said they were unsure whether Apple plans to expand the iPad lineup with an all new version of the tablet computer.