Apple Inc. Next-Gen iPads Enter Production [REPORT]

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Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL suppliers have started production of new iPads to breathe life into the dwindling sales of the tablet, says a report from Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the development. Apple, the pioneer of the tablet, has been witnessing declining sales since 2012 and the advent of large display phones.

Production issues delaying Apple devices

Production of the 9.7-inch iPad has already started on a large scale and the device will be launched by the end of the quarter or early next quarter according to the Bloomberg report. The Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL iPad Mini 7.9-inch will also be manufactured soon, and should be launched towards the end of the year.

The iPad mini launch dates are delayed due to production constraints, which will also affect the production cycle of the larger iPad. Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL is reportedly including an anti-reflection coating in the new models, which is making it difficult to produce the required number of iPads. An anti-reflection coating will make it easier for users to view clips and images or read text on the iPad.  There is no confirmation of the feature on the iPad Mini 3 in the report, whereas iPad Air 2 is confirmed to come with an anti-reflection coating.

New tablets to help lift dwindling sales

Back in July, Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL entered into an agreement with International Business Machines Inc. NYSE:IBM to buy iPhones and iPads, which could invigorate tablet sales by exploiting the large corporate market. In the June quarter, the iPhone maker logged in sales of 13.2 million units of iPad, a drop of 8% from the previous year. The sales, which contributed 15% of revenue, were less than the Wall Street’s expectations for the straight second quarter.

In order to contain the declining sales of the tablets, Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL is allegedly offering some popular iPhone features in the Air 2 and Mini 3, including Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which was launched in the iPhone 5S. Reportedly, fresh versions of the tablet will sit on faster A8 processing chip, which will be in 64-bit mobile computing standard, as previously seen in A7 processors. However, there are doubts over the quad-core feature of the new processor.

Analysts believe that following the launch of the iPad Air 2 and Mini 3 this year, Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL will launch an enterprise-geared and productivity-centric iPad Air Pro with a display size of 12.9-inch between January and March 2015.

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