DigiTimes

While Apple's long-rumored "iWatch" may be one of the products to look for in 2014, several rumors have suggested that the device is unlikely to launch until the latter half of the year as the company works to address technical challenges. A new report from DigiTimes claims that one of those issues involves surface finish treatments for the body of the device, with both Apple and Qualcomm...

Samsung has signed a contract to produce 30% to 40% of Apple's 14-nm A9 chip family in 2015, with the remainder of the production load being handled by other Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), reports Digitimes. The news comes after a report back in July stating that Apple had signed a deal with Samsung to cooperate in producing A9 processors based on a...

As numerous potential customers have discovered, the Retina iPad mini has been in very short supply since its quiet launch earlier this month, with Apple reportedly struggling with display yields that have limited production. Several analysts had previously predicted that Retina iPad mini production would be limited to roughly two million units for the fourth quarter of 2013, but a new report...

Following a September report stating that Apple may be working with Quanta Computer to develop a larger-sized iPad, Digitimes is now reporting that the Taiwanese-based manufacturer has landed the contract to mass-produce the tablet for the second half of 2014. Just last week, a report had claimed that the larger iPad was being targeted for an early 2014 launch. Mockup of 12.9-inch iPad next ...

Foxconn will reportedly stop production of Apple's lower-cost iPhone 5C at its factory located in Zhengzhou, China, and will reportedly shift the facility's manufacturing efforts towards the iPhone 5s, reports Digitimes. The news follows a report last week stating that Apple has been steadily reducing its orders for the iPhone 5c with suppliers as customers continue to prefer the iPhone 5s....

Apple will use sapphire home buttons on the new iPad and iPad mini, expected to launch next month, according to a report from DigiTimes.Apple first adopted sapphire to make covers of iPhone 5 cameras and now the material is also used in making covers of iPhone 5S finger print-recognizing home keys, the sources noted. Apple in March 2013 filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office an...

Shipment volumes of the display panels used in Apple's new iPhone 5s are expected to reach 10-15 million units in the third quarter of 2013, according to industry sources cited by Digitimes. Primary Apple supplier Sharp is expected to produce 7 million units, with LG Display and Japan Display expected to pick up the rest of the orders for the recently announced device. In addition to Sharp, LG ...

Industry sources have told Taiwanese news outlet Digitimes that production of the upcoming iPhone 5S will be limited to 3-4 million units in Q3 2013 due to a shortage of the fingerprint scanners to be used in the phone. Specifically, the sources cite difficulties in interaction between the fingerprint scanners and Apple’s upcoming iOS 7 mobile platform. Production of Apple's next iPhone,...

In what has become something of a tradition ahead of Apple's product launches, Digitimes is reporting that the iPhone 5S may see constrained supplies at launch due to poor yields of certain components. In this case, the issues are said to be related to chips supporting fingerprint recognition and the device's LCD, according to industry sources.The fingerprint recognition chip is designed by...

In the wake of continuing reports suggesting that Apple's Retina iPad mini may not be ready to launch until early next year, Digitimes has now added its thoughts on the matter, claiming that Apple will be releasing a slightly redesigned non-Retina iPad mini later this year before launching the Retina iPad mini early next year. According to the report, the Retina iPad mini will see an...

Digitimes reports that Apple has finalized plans for its fifth-generation iPad, targeting a September launch for the redesigned device that is rumored to be taking design cues from the iPad mini with narrower side bezels and a thinner body.Since upstream suppliers have mostly finished preparing for the production of the new 9.7-inch iPad, there is unlikely to be any changes in terms of...

Digitimes reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC) has officially landed a three-year deal with Apple to produce the A-series chips that will be used to power upcoming iOS devices. The deal is said to begin with the A8 chip, with future A9/A9X chips also mentioned as being included.TSMC will start to manufacture Apple's A8 chips in small volume in July 2013, and substantially ramp up its...

Late last year, Apple introduced the iPad mini alongside an update to the full-size iPad lineup, with many observers believing that Apple would continue to update the two lines simultaneously going forward. Mockup of fifth-generation iPad next to iPad mini A new report from Digitimes claims, however, that the next-generation iPad may appear as much as several months before the next version of ...

Digitimes reports that Apple will soon begin trial production on its fifth-generation iPad, with full production said to be planned to begin in July. Based on that schedule, Apple could hit monthly production of 2-3 million units by September as it prepares to launch the updated version of its full-size tablet. Mockup of iPad 5 next to iPad mini and iPhone 5 As with a number of previous...

Over the past several months, a number of rumors have suggested that Apple will be looking to update its notebook lineup at or soon after its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off on June 10. In particular, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a relatively strong track record, laid out a roadmap in January predicting that the MacBook Air could see an update by late in the...

Digitimes reports that Apple has essentially halted all component orders for its Mac product lines, apparently working through significant inventories of components delivered during an aggressive ramp-up late last year that may have proven overly aggressive.The suppliers originally expected to finish digesting their Mac inventories in April, but are now stranded waiting for further instructions...

Citing supply chain sources, Digitimes reports that Apple is expected to see only modest "single-digit" shipment growth for its notebook lineup in 2013, with the 13-inch MacBook Pro in particular seeing weaker-than-expected sales.Apple was confident about its 13-inch MacBook Pro performance for 2013, but the device's actual sales turn out to be weaker than expected, leaving the company still...

Digitimes is reporting that Apple is set to cut shipments of iPad mini in the second quarter of 2013, according to its industry sources. The cut is said to be a 20% reduction for the month of April, with steeper cuts potentially following in the remainder of the quarter, although the report does not specify whether the cuts are relative to previous production plans or to current-quarter output....

Apple's rumored television set project has a long history of claims from various sources, and while the "iWatch" has taken on a more prominent place in the rumor mill in recent months, an Apple television continues to be on the radar of a number of industry watchers. Digitimes now reports on word from unidentified supply chain sources that Apple is working on an "Ultra HD" or "4K" television...

Digitimes reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will "tape out" the design for an A7 system-on-a-chip built on a 20-nanometer process this month. Taping out refers to the initial design of the chip having been completed for creation of the masks that will be used to print the actual chips, although further tweaks are likely as test production is carried out.Taiwan...