Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPad Mini Shipments May Decline [REPORT]

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be gearing up for a rough period. DigiTimes reported on Friday that according to AU Optronics, (a company that makes supply panels specifically for the iPad Mini) will ship only 2.5 million to 2.8 million units during the second quarter of the calendar. This number is down from the 4 million they shipped first quarter.

The report states, “AUO’s drop in the second quarter will also come as overall shipments for the iPad mini are expected to drop around 20-30 percent on quarter to around 10 million units largely due to the time period traditionally being a slow purchasing period for consumers. The remaining seven million panels for the device are expected to come from LG Display, said the sources.”

It seems that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is slowing down on the production of the iPad Mini as consumers generally don’t buy electronics or gadgets during the summer season. It’s also possible that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be slowing down on the iPad Mini for anticipation for the next generation of the iPad Mini.

Despite the expected slow down, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should still fare well. DigiTimes sources predict they will ship 10 million iPad Mini tablets. Interesting enough, the remaining 7 million of these panels will be from LG.  The report further indicates, “Despite AUO’s struggles, the company has still submitted panels for use in the next-generation iPad mini for certification by Apple, the sources said, adding that so far LG Display and Sharp have been selected as panel suppliers for the upcoming tablet.”

The iPad and iPad Mini are both huge sellers for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). It’s highly unlikely that the Cupertino-based company has anything to worry about, especially since the iPad is overall the best selling tablet. With all of that said, it’s most likely that company has some big changes coming for the company.