LONDON: Apple will delay the start of manufacturing for a larger screen version of the tablet, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Production of the 12.9 inch screen iPad is now scheduled to start around September because of delays involving the supply of display panels, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. Apple had initially planned to begin making the larger version this quarter, people familiar those plans had said.
A new big screen tablet is part of Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s effort to reinvigorate the iPad product line, where sales have declined for four straight quarters. IPads are also facing competition from larger iPhones, which were introduced in September and helped Apple deliver record profit in the latest quarter.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, currently sells the iPad with a 9.7-inch display and the iPad mini, which has a 7.9-inch screen. Apple hasn’t disclosed plans for a bigger iPad.
A larger iPad could also bolster Cook’s initiative to make Apple’s products more appealing to business users. Apple announced a partnership last year with International Business Machines Corp. to create mobile software for businesses and for IBM to help sell iPads to corporate customers.
