Has Apple become a vacuum for components, first cornering the market on flash memory for its iPod and iPhone, and now emptying the shelves of OLED displays for its rumored tablet? That appears to be the implication from a report that the displays have nearly vanished. Apple “pre-ordered them all,” an anonymous designer recently complained.
OLED displays are popular with manufacturers because they eliminate the need for backlighting a display. They also consume less energy, which equals longer battery life and offer owners a better picture, a feature needed for video or reading. Although Google’s Nexus One and Microsoft’s Zune HD also use OLED displays, a report points the finger at Apple because the shortage is in 10.1-inch OLED displays. Apple’s tablet device reportedly uses a 10.1-inch display.
“We were told that Apple pre-ordered them all. All 10 inch LCDs, and all 10 inch OLEDs too,” an anonymous designer told TG Daily during CES.
In late 2009, a report emerged that the tablet was delayed due to Apple wanting an OLED display. That report was contradicted a month later when Oppenheimer analyst Yar Reiner said the tablet will use the same LTPS LCD technology available on the iPhone.
The tablet, which many expect could be announced later this month and begin shipping in March, is said to cost around $1,000. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes Apple could sell 1.4 million units in the first 9 months if the price drops to $600.
[Via TG Daily, 9to5Mac and AppleInsider]
