Apple increasing summer iPad, iPhone panel orders

Both official and unofficial details from Wintek suggest Apple only plans to increase its iPad and iPhone touch panel orders over the rest of the year. Those for phones like the iPhone have grown in the spring and, Digitimes heard, will have reached between 2.4 million to 2.6 million units each month between April and June. Stepped up Apple orders during the summer should give Wintek between $41.5 million and $51.9 million in revenue.

Wintek isn't Apple's only touch panel supplier but is one of the larger contributors.

Demand has been "moderate" for phone and tablet orders in the first half of the year, Wintek says. The second half is expected to be better both through the increased existing business as well as from companies moving their e-readers to touchscreens.

The increases would put the lay to beliefs that Apple might significantly slow down its iPhone shipments as it transitions to the next iPhone's release in September and its production in July. Apple has typically had a lull in shipments in the quarter in which an iPhone launches as it stops production for the old model and takes time ramping up the new model. Apple may still see a shipment drop, but it may represent a rare instance of Apple seeing shipments stay even or climb up. iPad shipments are already poised to climb.

If an indicator of total shipments, Wintek's performance will contrast sharply with RIM. Its BlackBerry shipments dropped sharply in the spring and are estimated to fall just as much again in the summer, leaving Apple with an even larger piece of the market.

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, BlackBerry, RIM, mobile phones, Wintek, Apple, iPad