Larger 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro production delayed, owing to iPhone 6 Plus demand

Apple suppliers have delayed the production of a
larger iPad to early next year, the Wall Street Journal
(WSJ) reported, citing people familiar with the
matter.
The suppliers had planned to start producing the
larger screen tablet in mass volume beginning in
December, but have been struggling to produce
enough new iPhones to keep up with demand, the
WSJ said. According to sources who spoke to the
paper, the major demand for iPhone 6 Plus which
comes with a 5.5-inch display is quite high and the
volumes produced so far have been unsatisfactory.
Foxconn Technology, which assembles iPhones and
iPads, has 200,000 workers in China already putting
together new iPhones and making items such as
metal casings, the Journal said.
Apple is expected to launch the new iPads at an
event on October 16. The event invite has already
been sent out.
Asian suppliers expect Apple’s larger tablet to have
a 12.9-inch liquid-crystal-display screen with a
resolution similar to the iPad Air launched in October
last year, the WSJ said. Apple is struggling as far as
sales figures of its 10-inch iPads and 7.9-inch iPad
Mini goes. Apple sold close to 13.2 million iPads in
Q2 of 2014, which is again less than the 16.3 million
sold in Q2 of 2014, and less than the 14.6 million
iPads sold in Q3 of 2013. According to Apple’s own
data, the iPad saw a negative growth of 9 percent on
units and negative growth of 8 percent on revenue,
year-on-year. There are even rumours stating that
gold would be used as a choice of colour in the
upcoming iPads.
Data research firm IDC said in August that it
expected tablet sales to slow globally in 2014. Apple
was not immediately available for comment.
The company said it sold more than 10 million of its
new iPhones in the first weekend they were available
in September. Pre-orders have started in India as
well. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been
listed at Rs 53,500 and Rs 62,500, respectively. The
64GB version of the iPhone 6 is priced at Rs 62,500
and the 128GB version will sell for Rs 71,500. The
64GB version of the larger Apple iPhone 6 Plus is
priced at Rs 71,500 and the 128GB variant of the
phone will sell for Rs 80,500.
(With inputs from Reuters)