iPad demand surges due to teleworking and online learning

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iPad neck
Students attending classes at home brought an increase in iPad demand.
Photo: R. Marsh Starks/UNLV Creative Services

Apple reportedly placed multiple rush orders for iPad screens with LG Display. The tablet saw increased demand in Asia this quarter, with COVID-19 forcing so many people to attend classes and work from home.

LG Display is hurrying to fulfill the orders, running its production lines flat out, according to Business Korea. Ordinarily, the company asks for three months of lead time, but it could begin delivering the additional LCD panels in June.

China’s BOE Technology Group and Sharp also make iPad screens.

Apple foresaw increasing iPad demand

Apple predicted last month that there’d be a surge of tablet demand in the April-to-June period. “On iPad and Mac, we expect the year-over-year revenue performance to improve in the June quarter,” said Luca Maestri, Apple Chief Financial Officer, in a conference call with investors on April 30.

With people quarantined to slow the spread of COVID-19, they need computers to work and attend online classes. It appears many people turned to Apple tablets for this. And that’s true no matter where they live — there was increasing iPad demand in China back in March when the pandemic was at its worst in that country.

For students, Apple offers a $329 iPad. Apple increased the size of this tablet’s display from 9.7- to 10.2 inches in the 2019 model. It supports the original Apple Pencil, and can become a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet with the addition of an Apple Smart Keyboard.

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