New iPads May Not Arrive Until May or June – Report

Digitimes’ Siu Han and Steve Shen say their sources in the iPad upstream supply chain are anticipating disappointing calendar first-quarter 2017 sales.
The same sources at upstream suppliers had earlier reported that Apple is planning three new tablets for 2017, an entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, a 10.5-inch iPad, and an upgraded 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Han and Shen note that recently there have been frequent out-of-stock notices for 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 on Apple’s online store and reduced pricing for 9.7-inch iPad devices in Asian markets which may point to new iPad releases being imminent, leading to hope that at least one of the two large-size Pro model tablets — the 10.5-inch iPad or the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, will be released in the first calendar quarter of 2017 along with the rumored entry-level 9.7-inch iPad.

However, the sources are telling them it in now more likely that the planned two large-size models will not come until May-June, which could put it as late as Apple’s June World Wide Development Conference (WWDC)

Han and Shen say the insider sources estimate that overall iPad device shipments will to reach 40 million units in 2017, down slightly from 2016.

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170223PD209.html

Source: Digitimes