While all the usual gossips get worked up about whether the iPad 2.0 screen will be a retina display (at those production prices, no.
In future, probably — but expect an improved resolution on your screen as part of a natural product evolution this time around, if you want my cent’s-worth) here’s the latest from component corner — Apple has contracted a bunch more manufacturers to make HDI-PCB boards for the next-gen Apple tablet, which we are told won’t ship en masse until April.
What can this mean? Does it mean yields of PCB’s have been low? Does it mean Apple’s playing like its own competitors and waiting to see what Android’s much-hyped and in future likely under-sold ‘Honeycomb’ devices can do before committing to final product? Or is it simply that setting up production for insanely popular devices can take some time?
Seems Apple’s increased the number of PCB suppliers for iPad 2 from three to seven, adding Compeq Manufacturing, Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), Meiko and Nan Ya PCB, all of which will begin shipping any-layer HDI boards in small volumes between the end of February and March prior to mass shipments in April. Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies were the initial PCB suppliers for iPad.
These time scales could hint that the introduction road map features a February special event, followed by limited shipping in the US in late March/early April. (ie. very like last time).
Does this production ramp-up not also hint once again that the iPad 2.0 introduction will be staggered across countries, just like it was last time. You’d have to be dumb not to anticipate supply constraints.
Interestingly, the move to secure multiple HDI PCB manufacturers could constitute a strategic feint to gather together the maximum amount of supply of these components.
“Any-layer HDI PCBs are seeing growing adoption among smartphones and tablet PCs. Industry observers have predicted a shortage of such components during 2011 due to the rising demand and several supply side issues. These include challenges relating to yield rates for 4-and-above-layer boards with complicated circuit designs, and supply constraints for laser drilling and electroplating equipment,” report claims.
Supply constraints and low yield rates for a component the tablet and smartphone industry is crying out for? And Apple’s cornered so much of the supply — what might it have cost?
Why?
Perhaps for the maybe 60-70 million iPhones and perhaps 30 million iPads it hopes to sell this year, plus those tens of millions of iPod touch devices everyone keeps forgetting about (but millions keep on buying).
This is why the iPad (and iPhone) ‘killers’ face severe challenges — they just can’t get the parts. (Via 9to5Mac)
In future, probably — but expect an improved resolution on your screen as part of a natural product evolution this time around, if you want my cent’s-worth) here’s the latest from component corner — Apple has contracted a bunch more manufacturers to make HDI-PCB boards for the next-gen Apple tablet, which we are told won’t ship en masse until April.
Seems Apple’s increased the number of PCB suppliers for iPad 2 from three to seven, adding Compeq Manufacturing, Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), Meiko and Nan Ya PCB, all of which will begin shipping any-layer HDI boards in small volumes between the end of February and March prior to mass shipments in April. Ibiden, Tripod Technology and TTM Technologies were the initial PCB suppliers for iPad.
These time scales could hint that the introduction road map features a February special event, followed by limited shipping in the US in late March/early April. (ie. very like last time).
Does this production ramp-up not also hint once again that the iPad 2.0 introduction will be staggered across countries, just like it was last time. You’d have to be dumb not to anticipate supply constraints.
Interestingly, the move to secure multiple HDI PCB manufacturers could constitute a strategic feint to gather together the maximum amount of supply of these components.
“Any-layer HDI PCBs are seeing growing adoption among smartphones and tablet PCs. Industry observers have predicted a shortage of such components during 2011 due to the rising demand and several supply side issues. These include challenges relating to yield rates for 4-and-above-layer boards with complicated circuit designs, and supply constraints for laser drilling and electroplating equipment,” report claims.
Supply constraints and low yield rates for a component the tablet and smartphone industry is crying out for? And Apple’s cornered so much of the supply — what might it have cost?
Why?
Perhaps for the maybe 60-70 million iPhones and perhaps 30 million iPads it hopes to sell this year, plus those tens of millions of iPod touch devices everyone keeps forgetting about (but millions keep on buying).
This is why the iPad (and iPhone) ‘killers’ face severe challenges — they just can’t get the parts. (Via 9to5Mac)
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