DigiTimes: 33 percent lighter iPad 5 on track for September release

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

DigiTimes, the-sometimes-reliable Taiwanese trade publication, on Monday ran a report which quotes sources with Taiwan’s supply chain who claim that a fifth revision to Apple’s full-size 9.7-inch iPad will be 25-33 percent lighter than its previous generation.

The fifth-generation iPad is believed to be entering trial production next month, meaning the device should be on track for a rumored September launch. Initial output is pegged at up to three million units until Apple and its manufacturing partners reach yield levels necessary to ramp up production… Read More

 

iPad mini 2 Retina screens reportedly entering mass-production next month

By Christian Zibreg on May 7, 2013

NPD DisplaySearch is on a roll. After reporting yesterday that Apple could release two Retina-enabled iPad mini models – one in the second half of this year and another in the first quarter of 2014 with an updated processor, the display market researcher tell CNET today they think those high-resolution Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini could go into mass-production soon, as early as June or July of this year.

If true, and assuming satisfactory yield rates, Apple should be able to ready its first Retina iPad mini for a Fall introduction, a time frame KGI Securities’ well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently outlined based on his own sources… Read More

 

Apple may have delayed next-gen iPads over fire at LG Display’s subcontractor plant

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 17, 2013

An analyst report last Tuesday disappointed folks who were holding their breath for new iPads before this summer. As iDB told you, KGI Securities’ rather accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cited a number of “technical challenges” that Apple is currently facing in manufacturing the second-generation iPad mini and fifth-generation full-size iPad, leading him to believe that both products won’t hit the market until Fall.

I’ve come across an accurate report which might explain that a fire which last week broke out in one of LG Display’s subcontractor plants has forced Apple to frantically seek for alternative suppliers who could supply backlight units for iPads and MacBooks. All options are on table, including the display-making unit of Apple’s frenemy Samsung… Read More

 

LG saw 90% drop in iPad panel shipments in January

By Cody Lee on Feb 26, 2013

A new report out of China claims that LG Display saw shipments of its 9.7-inch iPad display panels drop 90% in January, from 6 million units in December all the way down to 600,000. The drop-off is said to be a main factor in LG’s poor performance in the month.

The reason for the order cuts? Well according to supply chain sources, it’s a combination of a few things including the fact that January was the first post-holiday month, the growing popularity of the iPad mini, and a general shift in the market to lower-priced tablets… Read More

 

Apple orders Retina iPad mini screens from Japan Display and LG Display

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 25, 2013

Apple, according to a new supply chain report out of Asia, has placed orders with LG Display and Japan Display for high-resolution Retina screens for a second-generation iPad mini. Japan Display is a merger of the mobile display operations of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba, in conjunction with the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. Now, LG Display and AU Optronics both currently supply 1,024-by-768 panels for the iPad mini, and iDB last week heard the latter has already started mass producing Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini.

With LG Display and Japan Display now reportedly having been added to the mix – and with leaks like this purported back shell – all signs point to Apple lining up its suppliers ahead of manufacturing, usually a tell-tale sign that the official announcement is around the corner. And if the iPad mini 2 is in fact looming, we’re probably looking at a summer launch at WWDC… Read More

 

iTV could use LG Display’s OLED panels

By Christian Zibreg on Feb 18, 2013

LG Display, a major Apple supplier that makes high-resolution screens for the iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad, 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and redesigned iMacs, plans to allocate more than 706 billion won, or approximately $656.7 million, toward building organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens for high-definition television sets by the end of June 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investment will allow LG Display to make some 26,000 sheets per month for customers seeking 55-inch or larger television screens.

It was recently revealed that Apple hired LG Display’s OLED expert Dr. Jueng Jil Lee. Another clue: Apple already holds several patents involving flexible OLEDs, OLED based BLUs for LCDs, OLED control schemes and others… Read More

 

Apple hires OLED expert from LG Display

By Cody Lee on Feb 8, 2013

Amidst growing rumors of Apple working on a larger-screened iPhone and a full-sized TV set, comes news today that the Cupertino company has hired a high-profile executive to join its prestigious Display group.

His name is Dr. Jeung Jil Lee, and he’s a former senior OLED (organic light-emitting diode) expert from LG Display. The hiring reignites speculation that Apple is considering using the display tech in its products… Read More

 

iPad mini is on fire: Apple moving 12M units in Q1

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 30, 2013

Days after reports suggesting shorter delays for Apple’s iPad mini comes rumors the company could ship about 11 million of the 7.9-inch tablets during the first quarter of 2013. The potential reason: an improved supply chain from China’s factories producing the device.

At last week’s earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said iPad mini shipments were constrained during the all-important holiday period. While in December there was a week delay shipping the tablet, the shipping wait had fallen to 3-5 days by mid-January. The shortened shipping time was likely the precursor of today’s rumor about first quarter demand… Read More

 

Loss of Samsung screens apparently hurting iPad mini production

By Ed Sutherland on Nov 26, 2012

Questions of whether Apple can supply enough iPad minis to meet demand continue to linger. After cutting ties with Samsung for its displays, one of the two alternative suppliers reportedly face production problems. All of which makes the executives at Cupertino nervous amid Cyber Monday mania.

Apple reportedly chose LG Display and AU Optronics to replace Samsung. As we reportedly last week, LG Display makes most of the displays for the iPad mini, which is widely viewed as a top pick among Christmas shoppers. However, now comes a report out of Asia that AU Optronics is having problems producing the displays… Read More

 

The majority of iPad mini screens are made by LG Display, not Samsung

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 24, 2012

The vast majority of iPad mini units incorporate a 7.9-inch screen manufactured by LG Display, a report out of Asia claims. AU Optronics, another Apple supplier, is said to be responsible for a much smaller portion of orders as it reportedly continues to suffer from poor yields in the production of panels.

The news is another indication of Apple distancing itself from Samsung. Remember, Samsung was originally the primary supplier of Retina screens for the third-generation iPad, until LG Display stole the Apple account in August. The Galaxy maker also lost out on the iPhone 5 front to rival panel makers, although the company still manufactures chips for Apple devices… Read More

 

Teardown of 4th gen iPad reveals LG Retina display and more

By Cody Lee on Nov 2, 2012

With the newly-unveiled fourth generation iPad now on sale in some parts of the globe, the inevitable teardowns have begun. As usual, iFixit was first on scene, and has posted a detailed breakdown of the tablet’s innards.

As you might expect, there aren’t many internal differences between the new iPad and the one Apple launched 6 months ago. But it does have a new processor, and a few other changes, so it’s certainly worth taking a look at… Read More

 

LG Display beats Samsung handily for Apple display orders

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 25, 2012

According to a new supply chain report, LG Display beat its arch-rival Samsung for display panel orders and has now become the primary supplier of screens that Apple uses to build virtually all of its recently refreshed products.

Specifically, LG Display is said to provide panels for the new iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad with Retina display, 13-inch MacBook Pro and both 21.5 and 27-inch revamped iMac models. This is of particular interest to would-be shoppers eyeing the iPad mini because “frustrated suppliers”, per one analyst, previously had issues meeting Apple’s exacting standards… Read More

 

Report: Apple’s in-cell displays causing iPhone 5 delays

By Ed Sutherland on Sep 25, 2012

The answer to the question ‘where’s my iPhone 5?’ may have an answer. The smartphone’s advanced display technology is so complex that one supplier was slowed by defective screens, one Wall Street analyst said Tuesday.

To produce the iPhone 5′s display using in-cell technology, Apple relied on two suppliers: LG Display and Sharp, Barclays told Bloomberg. The in-cell display allowed Apple to combine the touchscreen layer with the display layer, giving consumers a slimmer handset profile and improve color quality. However, due to problems controlling defects, Sharp only began shipping screens for the iPhone 5 after the device went on sale. Read More

 

LG Display shuns Samsung, becomes prime supplier of Retina iPad panels

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 20, 2012

More cracks are beginning to show in the Apple-Samsung partnership as the South Korean conglomerate’s component arm lost a significant amount of orders to rival LG Display. Coincidentally or not, the news arrives in the aftermath of the $1 billion ruling in the Apple v. Samsung trial. Samsung used to be the prime supplier of high-resolution Retina panels for Apple’s third-generation iPad, but no longer.

Seeking ways to reduce its dependency on Samsung, Apple reportedly shifted panel orders to LG Display. It’s not just a minor re-shuffling: Samsung last month saw iPad panel orders reduced to just 28 percent of its July output. We’ve seen what order stoppage rumors can do to market cap. I’d watch Samsung’s share price closely these days… Read More

 

Sharp, others steal iPhone 5 display biz from Samsung

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 13, 2012

There has been much speculation concerning who will be supplying screens for Apple’s just announced iPhone 5. The mystery is solved, if you believe a new Wall Street Journal report that named LG Display, Japan Display and Sharp as suppliers of four-inch in-cell display panels for the device. Surprisingly, the newspaper made no mention of Samsung, which supplies Retina display for the third-generation iPad and previous iOS devices… Read More

 

LG begins mass-producing thinner displays ahead of new iPhone launch

By Cody Lee on Aug 22, 2012

We’ve heard several reports over the past few months that Apple is using a new, thinner display in its next iPhone. The tech is called in-cell, and will help slim down the handset.

Interestingly enough, LG Display’s CEO Han Sang-beom announced today that his company has just started mass-producing a new line of thinner, smartphone display panels… Read More

 

Retina display supplier Samsung, others settle price fixing suit for $1.12B

By Christian Zibreg on Jul 13, 2012

Apple’s key components provider Samsung which supplies, among other items, Retina panels for the new iPad, agreed along with other defendants to settle a price fixing class-action lawsuit for a whopping $1.12 billion.

Samsung has agreed to pay $240 million, AU Optronics will pony up $170 million, Toshiba will pay only $21 million and LG Display will settle for $380 million in damages.

This settlement – the largest consumer class-action price-fixing settlement ever - is in addition to previous settlements from ten manufacturers and prison terms for some executives, The Wall Street Journal reported… Read More

 

Did LG Display just out full HD 440ppi screen for Apple’s rumored Galaxy Note-killer?

By Christian Zibreg on May 28, 2012

Apple debuted the Retina display in June 2010 on the iPhone 4. Fast-forward to today and it remains the gold standard for smartphones in terms of crispness and pixel density. Yes, most high-end Android handsets now top the iPhone’s 960-by-480 pixel resolution by way of using bigger panels that however don’t always introduce denser pixel.

A good example is Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone which has a 4.65-inch display with the native HD resolution of 1,280-by-720 pixels and a pixel density of 316 pixels per inch (ppi), safely above the Retina requirement of at least 300ppi for a smartphone display so the pixels appear indistinguishable to the human eye with a 20/20 vision.

Enter LG’s newly-announced five-inch mobile display. It rocks a whopping 1,920-by-1,080 pixel resolution and an astounding density of 440 pixels per inch. If Apple was looking for the perfect display for its rumored five-inch iOS device, this could be it… Read More

 

Sharp, LG Display ramping up second-quarter Retina display shipments for the new iPad

By Christian Zibreg on Mar 23, 2012

Asian trade publication DigiTimes reported this morning that both Sharp and LG Display are set to increase their respective manufacturing output of Retina displays for the new iPad. The news follows a recent report by the same publication that Sharp shipped 2.71 million iPad Retina panels to Apple.

This might mean that production issues have finally been sorted out after both firms had reportedly failed to meet Apple’s exact quality requirements. Something tells me Samsung won’t like this. As you know, Apple is clever enough not to put all eggs in one basket, so to speak.

As a result of LG Display and Sharp jumping on the Retina bandwagon, Apple should be able to achieve a significant increase in iPad shipments for the next quarter and onwards… Read More