Since the iPad 2’s launch in March, Apple has been facing extreme supply shortages from its manufacturers overseas. The iPad 2 has been flying off the shelves faster than the production line can handle, and part of this problem is due to the recent earthquake disaster in Japan.
For the past couple months, shipping dates for the iPad 2 on Apple’s online store were set at 1-2 weeks. Despite the iPad 2’s continual high consumer demand, Apple has managed to start shipping the sensational tablet in the normal 3-5 business day timeframe…
According to MacRumors, the new shipping estimates include engraved and non-engraved models in Apple’s North American, European, and Asia-Pacific distribution channels.
When the iPad 2 first launched, shipping estimates were set at a staggering 4-5 weeks, and the timeframes have been slowly falling since March.
The Next Web notes that Apple is expected to sell 40 million iPad 2 units in 2011, with 25 million iPads sold since the product’s original launch 14 months ago. A recent rumor claims that an ‘iPad HD‘ will be unveiled by Apple this Fall with a Retina Display and better performance. All of these reports make it seem very likely that Apple will reach its 40 million units estimate by the end of the year.
What do you think? Have you ordered an iPad 2 yet?