Apple has inked deals with numerous additional parts suppliers for its upcoming iPad refresh according to a new report from DigiTimes, further supporting the notion that the tech giant plans to unveil a new version of its market-leading tablet later this year. Citing industry sources, the report claims Taiwan-based component manufacturers including Novatek Microelectronics, Richtek Technology, Capella Microsystems and Integrated Memory Logic have been awarded contracts to supply integrated circuits for the iP...

DigiTimes adds fuel to the fire Monday morning with a report that Apple is looking to add a second manufacturing partner for its popular iPad line of tablets in order to help meet demand when the company launches a new iPad model this fall. The report adds that either iPhone maker Pegatron Technology or Quanta Computer will likely gain the contract to build iPads alongside Foxconn. While the report refers to an “iPad 3″ that will launch later this year, it has become increasingly likely that the ...

Apple has reportedly placed an order for 15 million iPhone 5 units with Chinese electronic manufacturer Pegatron. Pegatron’s plants underwent a major expansion in 2010 and 2011 to accommodate Apple’s supply needs for the current iPhone 4 model, so the company had been seen as a likely candidate to receive orders for Apple’s next smartphone. Referring to the handset as both the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S, DigiTimes reports that shipments are scheduled to begin in September. The report also s...

Taiwan-based component suppliers are beginning to prepare materials that will be assembled to build Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5 and iPad 3 devices, DigiTimes reports. The report goes on to state that Apple will unveil its fifth-generation smartphone and third-generation tablet in September ahead of launches in October. Details on the devices were scarce in the report, though it was mentioned that Apple’s next iPad may be even thinner and lighter than the current iPad 2 model, and it may also include...

Apple plans to ship more than 8 million MacBook Air computers in the third quarter of 2011, DigiTimes claims in a new report on Friday. The number represents more than twice the total number of Mac computers Apple shipped during its fiscal second quarter. DigiTimes‘ report cites sources within Apple’s supply chain in stating that combined MacBook production was ramped up to 2.2-2.4 million units in June, and Apple is expected to yield 2.7-2.8 million units in July. The Cupertino-based company is e...

It was a sad day when we learned that Microsoft was discontinuing its work on the Courier, a dual-display tablet that had tech fans buzzing. According to a report on Wednesday from DigiTimes, however, the company is still hard at work on a tablet. The Redmond-based software company is said to be cooperating with Texas Instruments and multiple Taiwan-based manufacturers in an attempt to push a Microsoft-branded Windows 8 tablet out to market by the end of 2012. Outside of the Xbox gaming console, Microsoft has...

The debate surrounding Apple’s next-generation iPhone design continues. While countless sources have claimed that Apple’s iPhone 5 will be an incremental upgrade akin to the iPhone 3G to iPhone 3GS bump, rumors continue to mount suggesting otherwise. The latest, which comes by way of DigiTimes, claims that Apple has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass makers to build curved front panels for its fifth iPhone due later this year. While it is certainly possible that Apple...

Looking to scoop up one of Apple’s ultra-light notebook offerings? You may want to hold on to your wallet for a few more weeks. According to the latest report, Apple is preparing to update the notebook line in the not-too-distant future. “The Taiwan-based supply chain for Apple products will begin shipments of new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch MacBook Air models featuring Sandy Bridge platform and Thunderbolt interface in late May for launch in June or July,” reads a report filed by DigiTimes. T...

DigiTimes is reporting that orders for CDMA iPhone 4 units assembled by Pegatron have been cut in half — with only 5 million devices being manufactured in the initial 2011 order, down from 10 million units. Pegatron just this week reported a net loss of $19 million for the first quarter of 2011, which is a historical low. Over 3 million CDMA iPhone 4 handsets have been manufactured and shipped, and it looks like Apple is comfortable with selling around 1 million CDMA iPhones a quarter — until the much-rum...

Despite the fact that Apple just introduced the iPad 2, the cycle of rumors, other rumors debunking those rumors, and more rumors leading up to Apple’s iPad 3 is already in full swing. The latest episode of this endless soap opera aired on Tuesday as industry insider DigiTimes claimed knowledge of Apple’s next-generation iPad. Contrary to earlier rumors, DigiTimes cites Apple’s component suppliers in stating that the idea of an iPad 3 with a Retina Display launching this year is likely just ...

Budget Android handsets are poised to takeoff in 2011, a new report from Digitimes suggests. The firm states that it expects 20 million to 25 million entry-level Android handsets  – defined as devices priced below $150 – will be sold globally in 2011. That figure is up from the 2.5 million to 3 million that were sold in 2010. Digitimes suggests that chips designed in China and Taiwan will drive white box OEMs to create budget-conscious handsets that will be attractive in emerging markets. An estimated 1...

A new rumor suggests HP may have considered selling its PC business, with Samsung lined up as the most likely buyer. The report comes from DigiTimes and is sourced from an article in the Chinese financial paper Commercial Times. DigiTimes claims that rumors to this effect have been circulating in Taiwan since last year, however, and suggests that a sale is no longer on the table. Citing sources from upstream component makers, the report claims “the deal was called off due to an unknown reason, and ther...

According to a report on Wednesday from industry watcher DigiTimes, Acer is seeing higher than expected interest in its upcoming line of tablets. Demand is so high, the report claims, that it exceeds the initial supply Acer has ordered from its manufacturing partners. The strong demand comes from various cellular carriers around the world that are seemingly eager to bundle Acer’s upcoming devices with data plans. According to the report, Acer plans to launch four devices between now and April: The 10-in...

Industry watcher DigiTimes on Friday reports that Apple is still on track to have roughly 40 million iPad tablets built and shipped in 2011. The site stated yesterday that Apple plans to ship up to 6.5 million iPad tablets in the first quarter of this year, and now it’s on record as saying second-quarter production will be ramped up to a staggering 10-12 million units. According to the report, Apple ordered approximately 2 million first-generation iPads in January before kicking off iPad 2 production. S...