iPad Mini demand forces Sharp to cut iPad display production

Apple’s iPad Goliath may have finally met its David — the iPad Mini.

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Demand for the iPad Mini has forced Sharp to shift display production away from the larger iPad, sources told Reuters. Production of 9.7-inch displays has practically come to a halt in one of Sharp’s Japanese factories, the sources say.

Since the Mini’s launch, Apple pundits have heaped praise on the device, even going as far as to call it the “real iPad”.

While there is doubtless some sales cannibalization between the Apple tablets (as many analysts have long predicted), Sharp’s production cut doesn’t point directly to any one cause. It could, for example, just as easily point to a seasonal shift in demand. It’s tough to know.

Sharp’s official response? “We don’t disclose production levels.”

Further complicating speculation, Reuters also talked to sources at Samsung and LG, none of whom reported any major changes in iPad display production.

The Sharp news comes days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple halved its orders on components for the iPhone 5. That report helped push Apple’s stock below $500 for the first time in a year. But what affect, if any, will this have on Apple’s stock price?