Leaked Samsung Securities Document Reveals iPad Mini Launch Planned For 3Q2012?

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Posted March 3, 2012 at 4:47pm by iClarified

A leaked Samsung Securities document reveals that Apple is launching a new 7-inch product in 3Q12 temporarily called the iPad mini, according OLED-Display.

The document belonging to Samsung's investment bank was obtained from an 'anonymous user' and discusses the state of AMOLED in the industry.

Following the success of its iPad 1 and iPad 2, which have together achieved sales of 55m units, Apple plans in 1Q12 to launch the iPad 3 and in 3Q12 a new 7-inch product temporarily referred to as the iPad mini. The company is reportedly aiming to sell more than 100m iPads in 2012, and plans to use higher resolution IPS panels in the iPad 3 - Sharp is trying to product panels for iPads at its 8GB lab, hoping to develop and mass product IGZO LCD panels for the iPad 3. That said, Apple may yet decide to use flexible panels in its next iPad models, if panel makers (such as SMD) can mass produce flexible AMOLED panels and improve resolution. SMD could produce only 54m AMOLED panels per year, even if ti 5.5G line were fully used for tablet PC production.

The report also notes that the price of AMOLED panels for the 9.7-inch iPad are still too high.

A 4.3-inch OCTA panel is priced at USD 50-55 while the price of a 7.7-inch Galaxy Tab panel (three times larger than that for a Galaxy S2) is estimated at around USD 150-170 -- higher than the USD 127 of an iPad 2 IPS panel and touch-screen module combined. The iPad 3 will incorporate a new high-resolution TFT-LCD technology, making its display more expensive than a iPad 2 IPS panel, but close to the estimated price of a Galaxy Tab 7.7 panel. That said, if Apple were to use AMOLED panels in its 9.7-inch iPad, the estimated cost would be around USD 250-290 per unit, making their inclusion unlikely in the foreseeable future as a product margin exceeding USD 100 would be sacrificed.

This appears to corroborate recent reports that Apple is working on a 7.85 (8-inch) tablet that will go into production in Q3 and launch by Q4.

Read More [via AppleInsider]

Leaked Samsung Securities Document Reveals iPad Mini Launch Planned For 3Q2012?

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Bolocz - March 4, 2012 at 9:23pm

You fail

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Ray - March 3, 2012 at 8:38pm

You know, this probably is a tactic to make people wait for the "iPad mini" and not buy the iPad 3 on it's launch..which would show smaller figures on sales. Samsung is doing whatever it can

T - March 3, 2012 at 6:47pm

Can we seriously stop with this rumor bullshizz!! Who cares?? If it's not 100% accurate why does it deserve a headline? C'mon guys Seriously this needs to stop. I bet you before the end of this week were Gunna get another headline showing "LEAKED IPAD 3 CASES". We don't care! I love apple and everything they are doing but the thing I love most about apple is that they keep their shi top secret, that's what I want I wanna be surprised but it's frikkin hard to be surprised when iClarified keeps on bringing out "LEAKED IMAGES OR LEAKED CONCEPT RUMORED IMAGES". Really??! Is that how bored you guys at iClarified are? I used to enjoy iClarified but now I'm starting to loathe this whole site. GOOD DAY