Apple Buying Up 60% of Global Touch Screen Supply

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple has reportedly secured nearly 60 percent of the global touch panel capacity of 2011 in order to fulfill its goal of shipping 40 million iPads this year.

Sources from tablet PC makers said that the component shortage is preventing their shipment volumes to catch up with their orders, especially for second-tier players.

Touch panels are currently suffering the most serious shortage due to Apple holding control over the capacity of major touch panel makers such as Wintek and TPK, and with U.S.-based RIM, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard (HP) also competing for related components, second-tier players are already out of the game, the sources noted.

So called "second tier" players are seemingly unable to obtain supply due to the high demand from Apple and other companies.

Apple had previously revealed that they had prepaid $3.9 billion to three companies in order to guarantee long term supply of a certain component, but stopped short of revealing which one.

This news seems to further indicate that Apple spent its $3.9 billion investment towards securing LCD supply for its future products, according to MacRumors.com.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Arizona Senate Removes 'Catch-22' Provision From Consent Bill

The Arizona State Senate has amended a bill that would impose new requirements for adult content uploaded online, removing a seemingly contradictory provision that could have effectively made it impossible for adult sites to operate in the state.

Climaxx Media Launches Networking Platform

Climaxx Media has officially launched its new networking platform.

Italian Court in Aylo Case Limits International Reach of AV Rules

An Italian administrative court has ruled that Italy’s recently-enacted age verification rules for adult content may not currently be enforced against sites based in other EU member states, pending further procedural action under the EU’s Directive on Electronic Commerce.

OCC, FDIC Prohibit Use of 'Reputation Risk' by Regulators

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday issued a final rule codifying the elimination of ‘reputation risk’ as a criterion in their supervision of financial institutions.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Age Verification Bill

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed AB 105, an age verification bill that would have allowed anyone to sue adult content providers for damages over alleged failure to age-verify users in Wisconsin, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

FSC Releases Statement on Wisconsin Governor Vetoing AV Bill

The Free Speech Coalition has released a statement on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' veto of the state's age verification legislation.

AV Bulletin: West Virginia Enacts AV Law, Ohio 'Innocence Act' Advances

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Woodhull Survey Reveals Concern Among Sex Educators Over AV Laws' Impact on Access

A national survey of sex educators by the Woodhull Freedom Foundation found that a majority of sex educators and sexual health professionals are concerned that age verification (AV) laws will negatively impact access to information and resources.

Clips4Sale Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of content platform Clips4Sale in a case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the site.

Pineapple Support, SextPanther to Host Stress Management Support Group

Pineapple Support and SextPanther are hosting a free online support group focused on stress management for performers.

Show More