Apple to Add New Manufacturing Partner for iPad

Submitted by lalit on July 11, 2011 - 2:24pm.

Foxconn has been the sole manufacturing partner of Apple for iPad till now. But with ever-increasing demand of iPad 2 and Apple’s plans of introducing higher end iPad 3/HD, the company is now looking to add new manufacturing partner for iPad production. Digitimes today posted:

Apple reportedly plans to add a second manufacturer for iPad 3 tablet PCs in addition to Foxconn Electronics with Taiwan-based Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology being indicated as the potential contenders for the possible orders, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Pegatron, which reportedly have landed iPhone 5 orders from Apple, stands a better chance of winning the iPad 3 orders, the sources noted.

Estimates are that Apple shipped more than 10 million iPad 2 units in Q2 2011 and will ship between 10-13 million iPads in Q3 2011. With that kind of growth, Apple will surely need at least two manufacturing partners to meet the demand. Apple is already doing this with iPhone 4 (GSM version made by Foxconn and CDMA by Pegatron) and adding iPad to the list will be a good idea.