iPad Pro Mass Production To Start This Month: JPMorgan

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Apple suppliers are all set to start shipping components for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro later this month. Citing supply chain sources, JPMorgan said in a research note (via Apple Insider) that Apple partners will produce one million units of the iPad Pro per month this year. Sources said that the jumbo tablet will have a new touchscreen technology to enhance input accuracy.

Apple may announce the iPad Pro in October

According to JPMorgan analysts, the iPad Pro will use a “glass-film-film” (GFF) touch panel structure to improve accuracy. The current iPad Air and iPad Mini feature the glass-film touch panel. The tablet is rumored to come with a Bluetooth stylus, which would require improved input accuracy. The September mass production suggests that Apple may announce the iPad Pro in October, followed by its launch in the first week of November.

The Cupertino-based tech giant has signed up new suppliers to provide components for the new tablet. Nitto Denko is the sole film supplier for the current iPad, and it is likely to benefit from the “glass-film-film” panels. For the display and touch panels in iPad Pro, Sharp and GIS have received the biggest chunk of the initial orders. However, LG Display is also involved in a smaller capacity.

iPad Pro inventory likely to be constrained

Foxconn will be responsible for touch module fabrication, lamination, and assembly. Since Apple has placed orders for only one million units per month, inventory is likely to be constrained at the initial rollout. The iOS 9 source code revealed in June that the iPad Pro will have a display resolution of 2,048 x 2,732 pixels. The new tablet will also boast of an expanded keyboard.

The iPad Pro will be a productivity-centric device, given the iOS 9 features picture-in-window videos and split-screen multitasking. The big-screen tablet is expected to feature a new USB Type-C port, NFC functionality, A9 processor, and 2GB RAM. It will go against Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3.

 

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