Sharp has cut production of 9.7-inch iPads possibly to accommodate increasing demand for the iPad Mini, according to a report.
Reuters reports that production at Sharp's Kameyama plant in Japan is now at the minimal level for the larger screens and the slowdown began in late 2012. However, it was unclear whether the shift in production was because of a lag in post-holiday-season seasonal demand or an expanding consumer preference for the iPad Mini.
While analysts estimate that Apple sold between 19 million and 30 million iPads in its fiscal first quarter (which coincides with the calendar Q4), analysts are predicting a drop-off in fiscal Q2 of as much as 40% for iPad unit sales.
Meanwhile, there may also be a fair amount of sales cannibalization as consumers opt for the cheaper iPad Mini. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Ku, for instance, predicts that 8.2 million of the 23 million iPads shipped in fiscal Q1 were iPad Minis.
The speculation ? along with other reports of production slowdowns at Apple ? are one potential factor bedeviling Apple's stock price, which has slid under $500 recently. Despite the somewhat gloomy outlook, though, analysts are expecting Apple's Q1 earnings to possibly be its best ever. The company is set to report earnings for that quarter on Jan. 23.
Image courtesy of Apple
Source: http://mashable.com/2013/01/18/ipad-mini-demand-production-slowdown/
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