Apple’s supply chain partners are expected to start providing the needed parts for the 12.9 inch iPad, that is supposed to come this fall. The device is tentatively named the iPad Pro or the iPad Air Plus and Apple is being very cautious about it.
Why? Well, apparently, Apple has placed a lower volume of orders than expected, even compared to expert analyst expectations. The info comes straight from the upstream supply chain, so it’s legit. The slate is manufactured by Foxconn Electronics, which was to be expected. 2015 is one of the worst year for tablets, with a decrease on all fronts, maybe except for the models with cellular connectivity and hybrids.
Even white box models have suffered here, so the growth decrease is serious. With many tablet sellers having troubles achieving their shipments goals for the current year, Apple is not taking any chances. I’m guessing that if the product is a hit and sells out fast, they’d rather have long waiting times rather than have many products left on stock if it’s not a hit… Keep in mind that the first part of the year brought a drop of around 30% for the iPad shipments, so that’s why Apple is playing it safe.
