iPad Mini Demand Falls As Fans Await New Model [Rumor]

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iPad-mini-boxes

The iPad mini is still less than six months old, and already demand has dropped as fans await the second-generation model. That’s if you take any notice of DigiTimes, which is reporting that iPad mini shipments will decline by as much as 30% during the second quarter of 2013 due to dying demand.

Upstream sources in the iPad mini supply chain expect a 20-30% decline in shipments for the device during the second quarter of 2013 due to lacking demand in the market.

The lacking demand stems from consumers waiting for the release of the next generation iPad mini, said the sources.

As a result of this reduced demand, Apple has reduced its reserves for the existing iPad mini from 15 million units to 10-12 million units for the first quarter, DigiTimes claims. While the company’s component suppliers are also feeling the change. LG Display reportedly expects panel shipments estimates to reach 3.5 million units in April, down from 5 million units during the previous month.

Despite the reduced demand, Apple still hopes to ship 55 million iPad minis during 2013, the sources say.

It’s not uncommon for consumer demand to drop when a product refresh is anticipated, and we have been talking about the second-generation iPad mini a lot in recent months. Having said that, it seems surprising that Apple would be seeing such reduced demand less than six months after the iPad mini went on sale.

Just a month ago, one report from CNYes claimed that Apple hadn’t seen any significant decline in iPad mini sales since the tablet’s debut, and that there was no chance Apple would refresh the device before it was 12 months old because customers are still in love with the existing model.

Source: DigiTimes

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