Rumours rippling through the component industry are that Apple is set to release a second-generation iPad in the first quarter of 2011. Industry insiders report the American multimedia giants are developing the popular tablet using the same concept as the iPhone 4G.
If reports surfacing from analyst insiders are true, the new iPad is likely to sport a 9.7-inch OLED panel giving users sharper images and improved viewing angles. Mingchi Kuo, senior analyst reporting in Taiwan magazine DigiTimes however, believes that the cost of using OLED display technology will be too costly for Apple to go ahead with their ambitious plans.
OLED Screen Could Raise Price of iPad
Kuo’s report went on to say he expects the price of OLED displays to drop, though he doesn’t expect it will be significant enough in the next year or two. For a 9.7-inch screen the iPad currently carries, the value of an OLED is $500 which could result in increased retails prices.
On the other hand, the popularity of OLED screens, predominantly with Far Eastern electronic companies like Sony, LG Displays and Samsung Electronics, could see the price in OLED production fall more dramatically than the Taiwan analyst considers.
Apple are expected to produce around 40 million iPads next year and considering the massive orders they will submit might just put the Americans in a strong position to strike an affordable deal or cut their losses.
Touch-Screen Tablet Wars
Whether or not Apple is able to fit the proposed iPad with an OLED display or not, news of the imminent release is likely to see a fall in touch-screen tablet sales until Apple unveils the new model. This of course could spark of a tablet war in the first half of the New Year and as the world clambers out the recession manufacturers may find it is quality rather than cost that attracts consumers.
|
Similar / Related Articles:
|
