The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the much-rumoured 12.9-inch iPad is being delayed by Apple because of high demand for the new iPhone 6 Plus.
The newspaper claims that, while production of the jumbo tablet was slated to begin in December, Apple isn’t satisfied with the rate at which the iPhone 6 Plus is being manufactured. A source at a supplier told the Journal:
“The top priority for the supply chain is to meet the overwhelming demand for the larger screen iPhones. The output of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus remains unsatisfactory. It would be challenging for display makers to split resources and spend a few months to ramp up production for a new larger screen iPad now.”
The report also claims that Foxconn is struggling to hire enough staff to put together the new iPhones at its Zhengzhou plant in China, which is contributing to the problem.
The sources did tell the newspaper what they claim to known about the larger iPad’s new specs, though. They claim it will feature a screen with resolution similar to the current iPad Air’s — which is 2048 x 1536 pixels. They also reaffirmed claims that Apple is preparing for mass production of a 12-inch MacBook Air in December, too.
Of course, as ever with rumours like these, we can’t be certain about their veracity — but it does sound like even if a larger iPad is on its way, it might not be in your hands any time soon. Let’s wait and see what the iPad event on October 16th brings. [WSJ]