Apple’s iPad mini 2 release could be facing significant delays, with latest reports suggesting the Cupertino-based company is facing issues with the Retina display expected to feature on the second-gen device.
A widely expected but currently unconfirmed follow-on to last year’s iPad mini, Apple’s first 7-inch tablet, it is believed that a reworked iPad mini 2 will launch later this year, with recent speculation claiming low yield rates of 7.9-inch Retina displays is holding up production.
Previously tipped to be heading for a potential Q2 arrival, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has suggested the eagerly awaited iPad mini 2 will now target an October release, with production issues surrounding the tablet’s mooted Retina display reportedly causing Apple concern.
In a bid to combat a loss of sales cause by the claimed iPad mini 2 delays, Kuo has suggested that Apple could potentially launch a cheaper iPad mini in the short term, with the cut-price model reportedly set to scrap the current rear-mounted camera, and drop internal storage to just 8GB.
"We think Apple will stay competitive in the tablet market over the long term as it releases new and exciting products," Kuo said in a research note. "But with product launches pushed back and competition getting fiercer, Apple and the iPad supply chain will have to wait until (the fourth quarter of calendar 2013) for significant growth."
With competition continuing to grow and Google widely believed to be planning a second-generation Nexus 7 tablet for Google I/O, Samsung early today expanded its 7-inch tablet collection with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3.
iPad mini 2 Rumours
With the original generation iPad mini having become an instant success, to the point of eating into sales of the 9.7-inch iPad 4, a number of iPad mini 2 rumours have been doing the rounds for some time.
Whilst a Retina display is widely believed to be the key improvement of the upcoming device, further reports have hinted at improved front and rear cameras, a faster processor and the as yet unconfirmed iOS 7 operating system also making the cut.
Via: AppleInsider
