Apple's Suppliers Will Ship Panels Both For iPad 2 And iPad 3 In 2012

DigiTimes reports, citing its sources, that Apple has decreased shipments of iPad 2 displays from 16 million panels in the third quarter to 10 million panels in the fourth quarter of 2011 and to 7-8 million panels in the first quarter of this year. This means that by the end of this year the production of Retina displays for iPads 3 with resolution of 2048x1536 pixels will surpass that of panels for iPads 2.

Apple’s supplier will push out about 25 million panels for iPad 2 in 2012, which is down from 48 milllion panels supplied in the previous year, but still a considerable number. Sources claim that suppliers will also push out about 40 million panels for iPad 3 in 2012 for a total of 65 million tablets between two models.

“With fewer than one million panels shipped in the fourth quarter of 2011, Apple will keep increasing the shipment volume of panels for use in the new version of iPad to 6.0-7.0 million panels in the first quarter and 10.0 million units in the third quarter of 2012, the sources pointed out”.

Several reports have also suggested that the iPad 2 will cost $399 or perhaps lower, which is rumored to be aimed in part at countering Android-based Kindle Fire with the price tag at $199.