Apple orders 10 million iPad minis for Q4 2012: Report

With the iPhone 5 launch over, the next big thing expected to be showcased by Apple is believed to be the iPad mini, a 7.85-inch model of the highly successful tablet. A report now suggest that the brand has ordered 10 million units of this mini tablet for the fourth quarter of this year alone.

As per a report by The Wall Street Journal, “Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have received orders to make more than 10 million units of the smaller tablets in the fourth quarter. That is roughly double the order that were placed for Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets in the same quarter, these suppliers say.  The figure indicates that Apple believes demand for the product will be strong, despite stiff competition in the market. Apple hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the smaller tablet dubbed by the industry as the iPad mini.”

Apple expecting a good quarter

An earlier report stated that the 7.85-inch iPad mini is expected to be unveiled on October 17. Sources in Apple's supply chain in Taiwan have indicated that shipments of the iPad mini tablets are not smooth at the moment, due to low yield rates at chassis makers. Case makers Foxconn Electronics, Catcher Technology and Ri-Teng Computer Accessory are responsible for production of the iPad mini chassis. Ri-Teng is an associate company of Pegatron. Catcher declined to comment on market reports, but stated that its capacity utilisation rates as well as yield rates for various products all meet its product roadmap.

The report goes on to add that the iPad mini will come in a native and black coloured aluminium chassis, and that they are more vulnerable to scratches, as per the website’s sources. The report states that anodised finish process on the black casing is more critical and hence, will result in lower yield rates.

Apple has an outstanding track record of delivering quality hardware that could handle the wear and tear of daily use. However, as in the case of the iPhone 5, and the model with the black casing, it appears that it has fallen short. The casing gets scratched easily. It now appears that Apple is ensuring that this does not happen with the iPad mini as well.

The iPad mini, which has not been announced yet, was said to be under production in a factory in Brazil. As per an exclusive report by UkranianiPhone.com, the website has received photos of the outer casing of the diminutive tablet.

However, if Apple has ordered 10 million units of the device, it appears that it is expecting a successful launch.