14 DAY TRIAL // In addition to keeping Foxconn Electronics on board for assembling its iDevices, Apple is looking for a second manufacturer for a third-generation iPad, paving the way for its new tablet to arrive to the market on schedule.
An explosion at one of Foxconn’s Chengdu factory buildings on May 20 leaving three dead and 15 injured has affected the production yield rates of Apple’s tablets.
The Cupertino, California company was prompted to contract an additional company to fill in any potential gaps, depending on demand for the current-generation iPad 2.
Word on the street is that Apple now plans to add either Taiwan-based Quanta Computer or Pegatron Technology as the second supplier of the third-generation iPad.
The next iPad Apple is planning to roll out will have a higher-resolution display, according to recent rumors stemming from Chinese component suppliers.
Taiwan-based Pegatron is likely the one with the most chances to strike a new deal with Apple, as the company is said to have already been tapped by Apple to build as many as 15 million new iPhones.
Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to drop this fall.
Sources familiar with the matter have said the iPhone 5 does not “seem” to be very different from the current model, but that it was slated for September.
Although it appears Apple is rushing to introduce a new iPad as soon as possible, the company can well compete with fledging tablets using the current iPad 1 and iPad 2 without fear of being outperformed.
An article on Quora highlighted by Softpedia earlier this month explains How Apple Uses Its $50 Billion to Maintain an Advantage over Rivals, showing how an Apple product like the iPhone can withstand not one generation, but perhaps even two generations of competing smartphones.