Apple’s highly anticipated iPad 3 will reportedly be in short supply until some time in the second quarter according to a new report. Industry watcher DigiTimes on Thursday cited anonymous sources within Apple’s supply chain in claiming that the high-resolution 2,048 x 1,536-pixel display panels being supplied to Apple by Sharp may be in short supply. Initial shipments are expected to be limited as a result, and production supposedly won’t be ramped up until some time in the second quarter. ...

Foxconn workers claim the manufacturer transferred underage employees to other departments or did not schedule them to work overtime in an effort to avoid discovery during the Fair Labor Association’s investigation of its facilities, reports AppleInsider. Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) project officer Debby Sze Wan Chan was told by two Foxconn employees that the manufacturer “prepared for the inspection” by hiding the child laborers. “All underage worke...

The next-generation iPad will feature a larger battery and a new camera, according to RepairLabs. The website obtained what it claims to be the rear shell of the upcoming iPad 3 from an industry insider in China. After examining the shell and comparing it to an iPad 2 case, RepairLabs noticed the mounts for the logic board were quite different, meaning the board itself will likely be a different shape. The rear case also apparently reveals that the iPad 3 will include a larger battery pack, in line with earli...

Following what Amazon reported to have been a huge holiday season for the company’s debut tablet, demand for the Kindle Fire has slowed according to new claims. Citing unnamed sources from within Amazon’s component supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday stated that Amazon’s tablet orders with original device manufacturers have been cut in half from roughly 6 million tablets in the fourth quarter last year to 3 million units this quarter. The Kindle Fire had a hot holiday season so a drop-off in o...

Demand for Apple’s latest smartphone is still outpacing supply, causing customers to wait three weeks or more to purchase the new phone. Apple launched the iPhone 4S more than a month ago, and the handset shattered opening-weekend sales records. BGR reported more than two weeks ago that strong demand for the handset was resulting in stock-outs around the country, and now Dow Jones Newswires reports that supply is not yet able to keep up with the mass of would-be iPhone owners waiting impatiently for the...

Samsung will provide Apple with quad-core A6 chips to power the next iPhone, The Korea Times reported on Monday. “Apple has been in talks with Samsung over shipment of its A6 quad-core mobile processor chips to be used in the next iPhone,” an anonymous parts supplier executive told The Korea Times. “It appears that Apple clearly has concluded that Samsung remains a critical business partner.” The two have been locked in legal battles around the globe, and both firms have accused the ot...

Foxconn and Quanta Computer, two companies that manufacture Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad, have suggested that there will be “minimal” impact on supply orders following news that Steve Jobs will no longer serve as Apple’s CEO. Reportedly, Tim Cook, who has replaced Jobs as CEO, was already working closely with the manufacturing process while Steve Jobs was out on leave. DigiTimes said that the move could affect Apple’s global brand recognition and the company’s innov...

It took 145 days, but Apple’s supply of iPad 2 tablets has finally caught up with demand. Purchases made from the online Apple Store will now ship within 24 hours of being placed, and the new fulfillment time applies to all six variants of the iPad 2. Since the tablet launched in the middle of March, Apple’s iPad 2 instantly became the world’s most sought after tablet. Inventory at brick and mortar Apple Stores, retail partners and at Apple’s online store depleted as fast as Apple co...

Global supplies of Apple’s MacBook Air laptops are dwindling as the consumer electronics giant prepares to refresh the line, 9to5 Mac reports. The Apple enthusiast blog cites multiple sources in stating that shipments of the Air are currently constrained, and the site also points out that remaining MacBook Air inventory is now on sale at several retailers. Apple’s online store is currently offering refurbished models at an all-time low price of $829, and Best buy has brand new models on sale start...

DigiTimes is reporting that sources at upstream component makers have said Apple’s popular iPhone 4 and iPad 2 products could be facing a shortage of materials as well as labor at Foxconn plants in China for the second quarter.Commenting on the rumor, Foxconn only emphasized that the company’s capacity is being arranged fully at the request of its clients and the company will do all it can to satisfy its clients’ needs; however, the company declined to comment whether the labor shortages wil...

According to 9to5 Mac, supplies for all four of Apple’s current iMac models are low in multiple countries — including in the United States and in an unnamed Asian country. The low supply counts suggest that Apple is poised to announce a refresh of its iMac line of computers in the very near future — which it last did on July 27, 2010 when it updated the family with Intel’s new Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. Apple’s suppliers are reportedly low on hard drives and graphics proce...

Strong demand for Apple’s iPad 2 tablet has reportedly lead the Cupertino-based company to add a third touch panel manufacturer to its supply chain. Bloomberg has confirmed the deal with two anonymous sources who claim that Foxconn affiliate Chimei Innolux will begin supplying touchscreen displays for Apple’s iPad 2 beginning next month. The Taiwan-based manufacturer will join Apple’s current iPad 2 touch panel suppliers, Wintek and TPK Holding, which apparently have not been able to combine...

As the iPad 2 continues to float in and out of stock at Apple Stores and third-party retailer locations across the country, retailers are also running low on stock of the original iPad. Now discounted by as much as $300, Apple’s original iPad models became available at reduced prices when the new iPad 2 was released. Apple’s online store has now completely run out of the 16GB Wi-Fi model of the original iPad and stock of other models, including refurbished models, is believed to be extremely low....

Apple has reportedly placed a new order for 30 million display panels per year from leading display manufacturer AU Optronic. The unconfirmed report from Taiwan Economic News suggests Apple paid a huge 300-400% premium to lock in the order, which could see AU Optronics produce up to 100,000 iPad 2 displays each day. The order accounts for about half of the global tablet market, the report claims. Apple had sourced its 9.7-inch iPad 2 displays from LGD and Samsung and some manufacturing took place in Japan, wh...