Apple “Hoard”
Suppliers of 10″ LCD and OLED computer panels in Asia are claiming to be sold out after iPhone maker Apple pre-ordered them all for its top secret but highly anticipated tablet. “Like it has done with supplies of NAND flash memory used in iPhones and iPods, Apple may be trying to corner the market on 10″ display panels for an upcoming tablet device. Suppliers in Asia are reportedly telling customers that no 10″ LCD or OLED panels are available, as Apple is buying them all. ‘We were designing a product for a customer and we needed 10-inch screens, but we’ve been trying for months and can’t get one from any of the Asian suppliers,’ an anonymous source told TG Daily. ‘We were told that Apple preordered them all. All 10 inch LCDs, and all 10 inch OLEDs too.’ Apple has been known to gobble up flash memory supplies from various manufacturers to guarantee parts for iPods, and more recently iPhones, so a similar issue cropping up with displays comes as no surprise.”