Initial iPad Air 2 Supplies May Be Limited, 27-Inch Retina Display iMac Launching by End of 2014

Just about a day before Apple's October 16 media event, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new report, saying that he expects supplies of iPad Air 2s to be constrained. His report also suggests that the 27-inch Retina Display iMac will have shipments begin before the end of the year and reiterates that the new iPad minis won't be a significant upgrade.

apple_oct_2014_invite_large

Of the new products, we think the market will be more interested in iPad Air 2. However, as the poor yield rate of anti-reflective coating cover lens has delayed mass production, we estimate 2014 shipments of iPad Air 2 of 7- 9mn units, lower than the 12mn units of the then-new iPad Air shipments in 2013. We thus expect iPad Air 2 to contribute less to the supply chain than iPad Air did last year. We also don’t expect the event to boost supply chain shares much.

Kuo goes on to once again suggest that a significant update to the iPad mini isn't likely due to the iPad Air's larger "contribution to Apple's sales and earnings" and that iPad mini is seeing limited development resources because Apple is working on a brand-new 12.9-inch iPad.

The 27-inch Retina Display iMac is likely to begin shipments before the end of 2014, with the 21-inch Retina Display arriving sometime in the second half of 2015. The delay between the two models, Kuo suggests, is because of how difficult it is to develop two different sized high resolution panels at the same time.

Finally, Kuo corroborates reports that new MacBook models will not make an appearance at the October 16 event as Apple is waiting on Intel's Broadwell chips before significantly upgrading its laptop line. This includes the rumored 12-inch MacBook Air.

Apple is holding its press event this Thursday, October 16 at 10:00 AM PT on its Cupertino campus. Besides new iPads and iMacs, Apple is also expected to announce the public launch date for OS X Yosemite. MacRumors will provide live coverage of the event.

Related Roundups: iMac, iPad, iPad mini, MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook, iMac, iPad, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

10 Reasons to Wait for This Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday January 8, 2026 2:56 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

Five New iPhone Features Rumored for iOS 27

Wednesday January 7, 2026 2:51 pm PST by
Though it's been just a few months since iOS 26 launched, we're already hearing rumors about the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 27. iOS 27 will be introduced at Apple's June WWDC 2026 event before it launches in September 2026. We don't know all of the details about iOS 27 yet, but we do have some information about what to expect. "Snow Leopard" Update iOS 27 will apparently focus...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Will Move From Goldman Sachs to JPMorgan Chase

Wednesday January 7, 2026 12:57 pm PST by
JPMorgan Chase has reached a deal to take over operation of the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. Barring any "last minute hiccups," the deal should be announced shortly after over a year of negotiations. Reports began circulating over two years ago that current Apple Card issuer Goldman Sachs was looking to end its partnership with Apple as part of an effort to scale back on...
Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech Blames 'Inexcusable Mistake' After Certificate Expiry Breaks macOS Apps

Wednesday January 7, 2026 5:27 am PST by
Logitech users on macOS found themselves locked out of their mouse customizations yesterday after the company let a security certificate expire, breaking both its Logi Options+ and G HUB configuration apps. Logitech devices like its MX Master series mice and MX Keys keyboards stopped working properly as a result of the oversight, with users unable to access their custom scrolling setup,...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Apple Is Expected to Launch These Four MacBooks in 2026

Friday January 9, 2026 8:17 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
ChatGPT Health Integration Connectors Feature

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health With Apple Health Integration

Wednesday January 7, 2026 11:27 am PST by
OpenAI today announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated section of ChatGPT where users can ask health-related questions completely separated from their main ChatGPT experience. For more personalized responses, users can connect various health data services such as Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, AllTrails, Instacart, and Peloton. Last month, MacRumors discovere...
safari icon blue banner

Apple Loses Safari Lead Designer to The Browser Company

Thursday January 8, 2026 10:50 am PST by
Apple has lost another senior figure from its Safari team as a lead designer departs for The Browser Company, extending a pattern of high-profile exits from Apple's browser team amid intensifying competition around AI-driven browsing. Marco Triverio was a lead designer for Safari and has now joined The Browser Company, the developer of the Arc and Dia browsers. The move was confirmed by The...

Top Rated Comments

Rogifan Avatar
147 months ago
Of course initial supplies will be limited. It's part of the plan to build hype for a product that no longer creates the hype it did a couple of years ago.

I can't believe people still peddle this garbage. Apple doesn't need to constrain supply to create demand. And if iPad is now a product people don't much care about, seeing that it's delayed isn't going to make them start caring.

This research note is just the typical pre-event let's throw things against the wall and see what sticks.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fred Stein Avatar
147 months ago
= Apple TV

"Way too long" = Apple TV
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleScruff1 Avatar
147 months ago
Of course initial supplies will be limited. It's part of the plan to build hype for a product that no longer creates the hype it did a couple of years ago.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bengay Avatar
147 months ago
I can predict "Initial iPhone 6S supplies may be limited.", "Initial iPhone 7 supplies may be limited.", "Initial iPad Air 3 supplies may be limited.", and so on. :)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CmdrLaForge Avatar
147 months ago
As long as the Mac mini gets an update as well I am fine... A little bit a shame that only the 27" iMac gets updated and not the 21". I would like :apple: to make a 24" again as to me that was the perfect size. 21" I a little to small where for me the 27" is to big

My 2 cents
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
screensaver400 Avatar
147 months ago
I expect that one shouldn't have to wait for 3 or 4 months to walk into an Apple store and be able to buy any size, capacity or color that they wanted. They are launching in new countries while people in the US still haven't gotten the phones they ordered two weeks ago. I don't see that as a good launch where the consumer is concerned.
OK. Two real options:
-Increase the price for the first few months to lower demand, and let people know that the phones will be available for $50 or $100 less in three months.
-Stockpile devices for additional months before offering them for sale, which would mean making *everyone* wait (instead of just some people), and would increase the cost of the phones because of additional warehousing expenses.

Which would you prefer?

Edit: Just saw this:
Then they need more factories.
OK, cool. So your choice is to increase the costs of production (and, therefore, the cost of the phone) by opening new factories and hiring more workers for a temporary demand surge.

You can't just hire more workers temporarily for "free." There are high fixed costs in opening factories, hiring and training workers, and so on. If they would be needed for a substantial portion of the product cycle it would make sense. But they're not.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)