Apple iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 Rumors: Samsung Reportedly Dropped As Display Panel Maker For Next-Gen Tablets; Release Expected Later This Year

In a latest development on the differences between Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung, a new report has claimed that the Cupertino tech giant has dropped its South Korean rival as the maker of the display panels for its next-generation tablet iterations, namely the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2.

Citing Seoul-based Korea Economic Daily, iDownloadBlog reported Wednesday that Apple sent out requests for quotation for new Retina screens to manufacturers including LG Display, Sharp, Japan Display and AU Optronics, but not Samsung.

A request for quotation is a document that companies use to send to its component suppliers, inquiring about their price quotations for particular components.

“As this document is usually sent five-ten months prior to a product’s launch (to give suppliers ample time to deliver the order), it’s the first step of the component purchase process and as such a credible hint of the upcoming changes in Apple’s manufacturing process,” said the report.

However, contrary to the Korea Economic Daily’s report, another report from South Korea’s iNews24 said that the separation process on mobile screens between Apple and Samsung is yet to get the kick start. The report also quoted Kim Ki-nam, President of Samsung Display, saying the rumor was “not necessarily true.”

The iDownloadBlog report has pointed towards a report from the market research firm DisplaySearch, which revealed that LG Display recently surpassed Samsung in the LCD market since 2005, accounting for 28 percent of the worldwide LCD sales, in comparison to Samsung’s 25.1 percent share.

The estimates also revealed that in the Q4 2012, Samsung’s display supplies dropped to 0.90 percent of the total supplied to Apple from 12.8 percent in Q2 2012.

New iPads Expected Later This Year

According to an iDownloadBlog report published earlier this week, Apple is preparing to release the iPad mini 2 with Retina display in the third quarter of 2013, together with an overhauled iPad 5 with 9.7-inch screen and iPad mini-like aesthetics.

While the iPad mini 2 could feature Retina display technology “without compromising performance or portability,” iPad 5 might face some yield issues that could initially limit the device’s availability, said the report.

Citing some recent findings by NPD DisplaySearch, the report also said that between December 2012 and January 2013, Apple cut orders of 9.7-inch panels from 7.4 million to 1.3 million units, while increasing the 7.9-inch panel orders to over five million units.

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