We still don’t have an official Retina iPad mini release date, though we do have a growing number of reports that look to explain the reason for the new tablet’s delay. Apple was forced to uncharacteristically unveil its second-generation iPad mini without announcing a launch date, and manufacturing issues with the tablet’s new 7.9-inch Retina display are said to be the culprit. Apple CEO Tim Cook even admitted on the company’s recent earnings call that Apple is unsure if it will have enough inventory to meet launch demand when the new slate launches sometime in November. While we’ve known for a while now that display panel issues are likely to blame, a new report seemingly reveals the exact issue plaguing on of Apple’s key suppliers.
A report from ET News on Friday states that Sharp has been having great difficulties with LCD burn-in on its Retina display panels that are being manufactured for use in the new iPad mini. The report cites unnamed industry sources in stating that the burn-in issue relates specifically to Sharp’s TFT technology and it has caused very low yield rates, though it is unclear what percentage of Sharp panels have been affected.
Earlier reports also suggested that Sharp is the culprit for Apple’s iPad mini supply woes, though Apple’s other main panel supplier, LG Display, has reportedly not had the same problems. A separate report claimed that Apple will soon add Samsung as an iPad mini display supplier in order to help meet the continued high demand that is expected for the new iPad mini with Retina display.
