Apple has reportedly cut its iPad mini orders for the second quarter of 2013 by as much as 20% in preparation for the next-generation device. Shipments of the current iPad mini could be as low as 10 million units during the quarter, according to “multiple sources who provide various components” for the device.
Apple has reportedly further distanced itself from rival Samsung by switching its suppliers for iPad and MacBook batteries. The Cupertino company has been seemingly working to avoid Samsung’s components since the companies became embroiled in various legal battles all over the world.
Apple’s much-anticipated iPad mini is expected to make its debut in mid-October, but it may be a little more difficult to get hold of than other iOS devices. According to sources in the Cupertino company’s Taiwanese supply chain, iPad mini shipments are already stumbling due to the low yield rates of the tablet’s aluminum chassis.
Apple’s massive orders for its next-generation MacBook Pros are causing havoc for its supply chain, with many facing labor shortages as they struggle to meet its demands. Others have been forced to outsource their business as a desperate attempt to complete orders before they start shipping.
A Pegatron plant in Shanghai, China, where rear panels for Apple’s iPad will be manufactured, suffered an explosion over the weekend which hospitalized 23 workers and injured a further 38. Though the explosion did not cause a fire, according to a Reuters report, the Pegatron factory reports there is “some damage” to machinery.
While most of the components crammed inside your iOS devices are built by low-cost Asian manufacturers, its dual-core A5 processor is actually built a little closer to home — at Samsung’s new factory in Austin, Texas.
1,000 workers at a Jingmo Electronics factory in Shenzhen, China, staged a strike earlier this week over long hours and poor working conditions. The factory supplies keyboards to companies like IBM, LG, and Apple, and China Labor Watch is now calling for these companies to improve the working conditions for the employees at the factory, focusing specifically on Apple.
Those of you wishing for an 8-megapixel camera in the upcoming iPhone 5 might just be in luck. According to a report from Taiwan Economic News, Apple has secured deals with two manufacturers who will supply 8-megapixel cameras for Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone.
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![iPad Mini Shipments Stumbling Due To Low Yield Rates Of Aluminum Chassis [Rumor]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/iPad-Mini-Dummy-010.jpg "iPad-Mini-Dummy-010")
![Apple’s Massive MacBook Pro Orders Are Causing Havoc For Suppliers [Rumor]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/overview_hero20110811.jpg "macbook-pro-family")
![Explosion At Pegatron’s iPad Plant Hospitalizes 23 Workers [Report]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ipad2back1.jpg "ipad2back")
![Two Suppliers Will Provide 8-Megapixel Cameras for iPhone 5 [Report]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/iPhone-4-camera-shot.jpg)
