A report today from Digitimes claims Apple has canceled its supply schedule for the manufacturing of the iPad 3 for late 2011. Sources speaking to the website claim poor manufacturing yield rates for the iPad 3’s 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 high-res screen are the major reason for the delay.
The report notes that high-res QXGA screens like the one destined for the iPad 3 have been, in the past, mainly supplied by Japan’s Sharp Electronics, whose manufacturing costs are much higher than what China’s Samsung and LG Display typically charge Apple. In addition, because a high enough level of supply of the screens can’t be maintained, Apple is canceling the near-term plans for mass production of the iPad 3, claims Digitimes.
Sources also told that site that the high-res screens are creating technological complications that could further delay a launch. The source claims that because the resolution of the 9.7-inch LCD panel requires a more powerful backlight source than what a single-edge light bar can supply, and because Apple insists on a thin design and exceptional requirements for the iPad screen’s color quality and durability, the complications could further add to a delay as the companies search for solutions.
