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Apple on track to ship 10 million iPads in Q2 2011
Asian newspaper Digitimes is reporting that Apple may deliver over 10 million iPads in the upcoming quarter. According to component suppliers, Apple is poised to ship over 6 million iPads in the current quarter, 3 million of which will be iPad 2 models. As production ramps up and demand increases, the Cupertino company may sell between 10 to 12 million iPads in the next quarter. Apple is estimated to sell over 40 million iPads by the end of the year, and Digitimes predicts that more than half of this 40 million figure will be sold in the second half of the year. This 10 million figure is significant as this jump to double-digit sales is occurring when competition for the iPad will begin to heat up. The 3G Motorola Xoom is available now, but a less-expensive Wi-Fi only version is expected to debut in April. The long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook as well as the 3D-capable LG Optimus Pad are also expected to land in the upcoming months. Finally, you have the webOS-powered Touchpad, which is projected to land this summer. Despite a variety of challengers, sales of the iPad are still projected to increase. Impressive. [Via Electronista]
Apple reportedly reduces iPad 2 production volume target
WIth an announcement of a second-generation iPad just around the corner, Digitimes is reporting that Apple's volume targets for the new device have been set lower. While both Apple and iPad manufacturer Foxconn are mum on the subject, Digitimes stated that the forecasted manufacturing run for the iPad 2 for the period ending March 31 is now set at about 300,000 - 400,000 units compared to earlier estimates that were in the range of 400,000 - 600,000 units. Some earlier rumors expressed concern over the ability of display suppliers to achieve the yield goals set by Apple, but Digitimes reports that since the company has three manufacturers to back up the supply of touch screen displays, that is not likely to cause delays in the shipment of the iPad 2. Digitimes also noted that most upstream component suppliers (the manufacturers of components used by Foxconn to assemble the iPad) have not received word of a reduction in the iPad production volume target, and that Apple has been reducing the production of the original iPad in anticipation of the newer model being produced. Should Apple's suppliers not be able to meet the production goals, there could be shortages of the new iPad 2 in the short run.
Forget the white iPhone 4, white iPhone 5 rumors begin!
It's the perfect rumor: the officially delayed and frequently tattled white iPhone 4 has reemerged as the white iPhone 5 riding a horned stallion through virgin rumor fields. According to the Economic Daily News, the previously unheard of white iPhone 5 will feature a touch panel supplied exclusively by Wintek. If true, then the white iPhone 4, officially scheduled for a spring 2011 launch, should be available just prior to the launch of the next generation white iPhone 5, anticipated for a summer launch in keeping with Apple's typical launch cycle. Not exactly ideal, but hey, it's only the first of many related rumors to come. P.S. Here's a link to an Apple-free Engadget in anticipation of your needs.
HP TouchPad on sale in April?
The official TouchPad launch date isn't even a date per se, but a season: summer. So we're surprised to see DigiTimes reporting that HP will take delivery of shipments in March with the TouchPad going on sale in April with plans to ship 4 - 5 million units from the TouchPad "series" in 2011. Based on what we know, both from using the software-incomplete pre-production tablet and from our detailed discussions with Jon Rubinstein, an April retail date would be extremely aggressive to say the least. And DigiTimes' accuracy with regard to rumors for companies located outside of its home country of Taiwan is spotty at best. Nevertheless, HP's new CEO Leo Apotheker did say originally, that products announced at the February 9th event would be on sale just a few weeks later. Unfortunately, only the wee Veer handset got an early spring promise with the Pre 3 joining the TouchPad for a summer launch. Perhaps this will be a case of HP under promising and over delivering? We can't say for sure. But with any luck, HP could bring some clarity to the matter on March 14th -- a day Apotheker had promised a big reveal regarding a "secret answer" and "vision of what HP is capable of in the future... the starting point." Why so mysterious, Leo?
Apple creating touch panel shortages for tablet competition?
Things tend to get messy for the competition when Apple decides to direct its vast cash reserves on "very strategic" components. Especially when Cupertino starts waving around stacks of dough in the range of $3.9 billion to $7.8 billion. For reference, just look at what Apple did to NAND supplies as the flash-based iPod rose to dominance. Today DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is occupying close to 60 percent of the global touch panel production capacity from the likes of Wintek and TPK resulting in "tight supply" for the competition. The impact on consumers, according DigiTimes' sources at upstream component makers, is that tablet PC makers are unable to ship enough product to match orders due to component shortages. The issue is especially troublesome for second-tier tablet hopefuls who must compete with the likes of HP, RIM, Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG, Dell (everyone but Sony) for the scraps. As a result, Apple should be able to more easily meet iPad demand in 2011, according to DigiTimes, while its competitors struggle to keep up.
Apple expected to have strong Q1 2011 shipments despite Intel's glitch
Intel recently had a kerfuffle with its upcoming chipset lines, finding a defect in the 6 series and causing production of certain models to be delayed by as much as a few months. But if you're waiting to buy a brand new MacBook Pro, don't worry -- because Apple is careful about when it upgrades its hardware, Digitimes says that shipments of new laptops designed in Cupertino won't be delayed at all. The delay may affect other brands, simply because they play their profit margins a little closer to the bottom line, but because Apple's prices already have so much profit built into them, it won't have a problem even if it is affected by delays. According to reports, shipments are up yet again anyway. Sources in the supply chain say that targets from January of this year were met according to expectations, and orders may be even higher than expected for the rest of the quarter. So there's no shortage of good news along the supply chains for Apple.
iPhone 5 to feature a bigger 4-inch display?
Thus far we still know surprisingly little about the next generation iPhone (or iPhone 5 for lack of a better name) expected this summer in keeping with Apple's traditional launch cycle. We've heard that the completely redesigned handset will boast a next generation A5 processor and Qualcomm chipset that will unify the CDMA / GSM / UMTS radios. Others have heard that it'll also feature NFC integration along with the possibility of a "universal SIM." But what about the display? How will it size-up to the existing iPhone 4's rather puny 3.5-inch display and the smaller and lighter iPhone model that the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg say is in the works? Well, if DigiTimes and its chatty "upstream component suppliers" are to be believed then the next generation iPhone will be sporting a 4-inch display. While DigiTimes can, at times, be a suspect source for Apple information, the idea of a larger 4-inch iPhone flagship to help differentiate itself from a smaller iPhone nano and legacy iPhone 4 (that becomes the budget model) does make some sense.
CDMA iPhone 4 production increased to meet anticipated demand
According to the Asian newspaper Digitimes, production of the CDMA iPhone 4 may climb as high as 15 million units for 2011. Pegatron Technology is reportedly delivering its first batch of CDMA iPhone 4 handsets to Apple and has originally projected internally that it would manufacture 10 million units in 2011. This internal estimate has been increased by 2 to 5 million units due to strong demand for this variant of Apple's popular smartphone. The CDMA iPhone 4 is expected to land on Verizon Wireless starting February 10, and it will be available for US$199 with a 2-year customer agreement. Ever since detailed rumors of the CDMA iPhone began surfacing, demand for the iPhone 4 on Verizon has been high. Due to this pent-up demand, analysts project that Verizon could sell up to 16 million units in 2011. According to analyst Charles Wolf of Needham & Company, most of these new iPhone users will be former feature phone owners who will drop their brew phone for the iOS device. Other new iPhone owners may be customers who have left Sprint, T-Mobile or AT&T now that Verizon finally has the iPhone. The CDMA iPhone could also land globally on other carriers, such as China Telecom or India's Reliance Communications, though a launch outside of the US has not been confirmed by Apple. [Via AppleInsider]
Apple said to increase Q1 order for iPhones to 20-21 million
At least that's the word from Taiwan-based iPhone suppliers. In a report today from DigiTimes, sources are quoted as saying Apple has upped its global shipment goal for the first quarter of 2011 from 19 million units to more than 20 million. Even more interesting, but hardly surprising, is that the same sources say Apple has ordered 5-6 million phones in that run to be CDMA models. Verizon anyone? The iPhone's 4th quarter global shipments are pegged at about 15.5 million phones, with a estimated 47 million phones shipped for all of 2010. Apple is estimated to have sold about 50 million iPhones in the previous 2 years, so if these estimates are close, and Apple sells all the iPhones it has ordered, 2011 is looking pretty good.
Google's Honeycomb Android tablet release slated for March?
The only official timeframe we have for an Android 3.0 Honeycomb release is sometime "next year." A little too vague for our liking and for a seemingly infinite list of manufacturers chomping at the bit to release their fully sanctioned Android tablets onto the world. Now DigiTimes narrows things down a bit with an off-the-cuff comment about MSI preparing to sell its Tegra 2-based tablets in April or May "after Google releases Android 3.0 in March." Of course, a March release seems almost definite what with Acer hoping to ship its tablets with Honeycomb in April as well. Hopefully we'll get this confirmed at CES in early January.
Apple's iMac spurs demand for all-in-one PCs
When demand for an electronic product goes through the roof, you can be sure that suppliers will start talking. Taiwan-based Digitimes is reporting that demand for all-in-one computers like the iMac has been climbing lately. That's a little odd in this current economy, since all-in-one devices tend to be more expensive than traditional "box and monitor" PCs. Of all of the suppliers of all-in-one personal computers, Apple's iMac is leading the pack with about 40% of sales for 2010. Updated iMacs, which currently feature Intel's powerful Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs, were responsible for a huge year-over-year increase in sales of desktop Macs in 2009, and the addition of faster RAM and processors in 2010 has kept demand for the product quite high. It's expected that industry-wide, about 10 million all-in-one PCs will be sold in 2010, climbing to between 12 and 14 million in 2011. Purchases of all-in-ones are particularly popular in the enterprise market, a space where Apple has traditionally lagged but is now seeing increased attention. Don't expect Apple to follow the lead of competitor HP, which outfits its all-in-one PCs with touch screens. Apple CEO Steve Jobs expressed his distaste for touch screens on desktop computers during the "Back to the Mac" event on October 20, 2010, noting that multi-touch gestures are much easier through existing user interface devices such as the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. [via AppleInsider]
Apple reportedly adds touchscreen suppliers for iPad 2
To add to our growing stockpile of iPad 2 rumors, DigiTimes is reporting that Apple has added two new touchscreen suppliers, Chimei Innolux and Cando, with those shipments to begin in January or February. The article says that expected orders of the iPad 2 will be more than 6 million per month. This follows up the rumor that backlighting units were shipped to Chimei Innolux and LG Display. DigiTimes brought us other iPad 2 rumors including additional parts suppliers and a camera supplier. Keep in mind that DigiTimes' track record is hit-or-miss at times, but with the growing number of iPad 2 rumors, their spot-on record when it came to the iPhone 4 hardware and Apple's normal updating pattern when it comes to the iPhone, it's safe to say that some sort of hardware update will be announced in early 2011 -- maybe in time to pre-order the perfect (but slightly late) Valentine's Day gift.
New iMac and MacBook Pros coming in 2011?
We know, it's shocking, but some people think that Apple might actually introduce some new home and mobile computers next year. DigiTimes is reporting that MacBook Pro and iMac refreshes are coming, the latter specifically getting "a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market." That certainly screams "smaller" and "cheaper" to us, but don't let us rain on your desktop-crushing, 55-inch all-in-one dreams. Regarding the MacBook Pro rumor, there are said to be four or more revised models arriving with "a slight change in chassis design" and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion onboard. Both sets of revisions are said to be due sometime in the first half of next year, which won't be "next" for very long at all.
Rumor: New iMacs and MacBook Pros in the first half of 2011
This rumor is like saying it will rain somewhere in the world during the first half of 2011, but DigiTimes reports that Apple will launch new MacBook Pros and iMacs in the first half of next year. The iMac was last updated in July 2010, and the MacBook Pros last received an update way back in April 2010, so updates to both those lines in the next six months shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. As for details, DigiTimes doesn't have many except there will be "at least four upgraded MacBook Pros," and the new iMacs will feature "a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market." Personally, I'm hoping Apple drops the optical drive from at least one of the 15-inch MacBook Pros and throws in 512GB solid-state drives across the line. As for the iMac, the "new panel size" could mean a new aspect ratio or just larger displays featuring the current aspect ratio. Given how Apple seems to be gearing up to push the Mac in 2011, cheaper iMac price-points should come as no surprise. As for Blu-ray, although many still hold out hope that Apple will include Blu-ray drives, that seems unlikely.
iPad 2 begins shipping from Foxconn in February for April launch?
The source is DigiTimes so take this rumor for what you will. Nevertheless, the Taiwanese tattle house is citing sources at local component makers claiming that Foxconn has been notified that it must ship Apple's "iPad 2" within the next 100 days or as early as the end of February. DigiTimes says that Apple's plan to start mass production in January had to be pushed because of ongoing firmware testing. Note that this doesn't mean that the second generation iPad will ship to consumers in February since Apple would be stockpiling units ahead of a global launch in April, according to DigiTimes. The original iPad was announced in January and began US shipments in April before starting its relentless global march in May.
Is the iPad hurting netbook sales?
It's starting to look like it. DigiTimes, which covers IT news in and around Taiwan and China, notes that both Hewlett-Packard and Acer are getting deliveries on hardware that are smaller than expected. Component makers say that "vendors are clearing inventories, which were high partly due to competition from tablet PCs." HP was originally expected to take 4 million netbook deliveries, and instead the company is getting 3.7 million. Acer was expecting to take 3.6 million units, but now is expected to take about 3 million. There has been continued speculation about whether the iPad would be impacting the sale of netbooks, and it's beginning to look that way. Even Microsoft has admitted that the iPad is taking sales away from Windows-powered netbooks. I think both netbooks and the iPad can be considered "accessory" computers, and while there are, of course, differences in functionality between an iPad and a netbook, they seem to be attractive to similar segments of the market. Add to that the fact that laptop prices are coming down, as are the weights of these portable computers. The new MacBook Air computers are proving to be very popular, and they give consumers something between an iPad and a full size laptop. [via Business Insider]
Next iPad's camera supplier outs itself in Taiwan Stock Exchange filing?
At this point, is there anyone that doesn't suspect the next iPad will sport a camera? We've heard as much, more or less, and now here's more fodder for the suspicious out there: according to Digitimes, a Taiwan Stock Exchange filing from Largan Precision pegs itself as the "sole lens module supplier" for the impending second-generation iPad, with shipments (of the part or of the tablet, we're not sure) due out in the first quarter of 2011. It's worth noting that Largan is the camera parts supplier for the iPhone 4. We haven't been able to check out the filing ourselves yet, and for its part Largan's not saying a word, but we'll let you know what we dig up. You can now return to the part of your iPad 2 dream where it's rocking a glasses-free 3D ultra-retina display... on both sides... and it's transparent... and foldable... and not real. Update: China Times is reporting that Largan got lucky with the exclusive order because Apple's other iPhone 4 camera supplier GSEO (Genius Electronic Optical) is already running at full capacity. Said publication also casually mentions an "end of Q1" launch for the iPad 2, which makes sense given that the original iPad was launched in April.
Next iPad likely to get a new screen, front-facing camera; USB port... not so likely
New rumors are swirling about the iPad 2, and they're a bit of a grab bag. The source is the same Economic Daily News paper that made one of the early calls on the first iPad, but also the one that reported in August that there was a 7-inch display being sourced for the iPad's sequel (which Steve Jobs seems to differ with). The new report says that the next iPad will be out in Q1 2011, will have dual cameras, a new display with new touch tech, and a USB port for working with third party devices. From our own information we know there were actually some last minute revisions on the first iPad that ended up killing the camera and nixing an extra dock connector, so the camera(s) seem a particularly natural "addition" for the iPad 2. We've also heard that a revised screen is happening, though it's unclear if this will be a "Retina Display" or something more minor. On the USB plug front, which could mark a sort of adolescent transition of the iPad into "computer," our source says it's, sadly, very unlikely. We're particularly interested in this mention of a new touchscreen technology from the EDN rumor (perhaps stylus support or pressure sensitivity?) but we don't have anything else to go on there. Overall, it's still hard to tell if the next iPad will be a small update or something more splashy, but it's certainly going to be something.
Next-generation iPad parts suppliers supposedly named
While we wait for iOS 4.2 to drop, Apple is supposedly busy lining up parts suppliers for the next-generation iPad. DigiTimes reports that Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies will be the initial Printed Circuit Board (PCB) suppliers. Their sources say that these companies have received "certification from Apple" and will begin shipping parts in December. They also expect additional suppliers to be added in February. DigiTimes' track record is hit-and-miss, so keep that in mind. Here's what you can bank on: Apple will update the iPad's hardware. It will include parts, and those parts will be made by someone. The current iPad models will be a year old as of April 3rd, 2011, so it's reasonable that Apple will release an update near the beginning of next year. How's that for a rumor? [Via AppleInsider]
Google-branded Chrome OS smartbook launching this month?
If the damp blanket of leaves warming the ground is any indicator, then we'd say that fall has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. That means Google's Chrome OS is due. What better time for DigiTimes to cite sources from "component players" claiming that the first smartbooks featuring Google's other operating system will launch later this month. According to the Taiwanese rumor rag, Google will follow its Nexus One strategy and be first from the gate with the launch of a self-branded Chrome OS notebook manufactured by Inventec -- the ARM-based machine will not be sold through normal retail channels and is expectated to ship a very modest 60,000 to 70,000 units. Acer and HP are then rumored to be launching Quanta-manufactured Chrome OS gear as early as December while ASUS waits to gauge market reaction. Of course, if all of this is true then we should be getting a Google event press invite right about, well, now.
