Get those iPad mini pre-orders in! Analyst predicts initial shortages

If you plan on buying one of Apple’s newly announced iPad mini tablets, you might want to pre-order it soon.

The recent patent infringement fight between Samsung and Apple has caused Apple to diversify the number of vendors that supply display panels for all the company’s devices. In regards to the iPad mini, Apple is relying on two main vendors — LG and AUO — for display panels, but AUO is having trouble fulfilling its orders, according to Display Search analyst Richard Shim.

“AUO is having yield issues with the 7.9” panel, which is limiting their supply to Pegatron,” Shim writes in an Analyst Blog post. He adds that AUO has shipped only a fourth of the target number of displays (100,000 of 400,000) in October to Pegatron, one of the manufacturers tasked with assembling the iPad mini. AUO is also expected to produce nearly 2 million additional display units over the following two months.

If AUO isn’t able to produce a sufficient number of displays, it could make the supply of iPad mini tablets even tighter going into the holiday season. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple is forced to negotiate a deal with Samsung to supply a portion of its iPad mini displays to keep up with consumer demand.

Pre-orders for the iPad mini open up Oct. 26 in the U.S., and if past Apple gadget launches are any indication, it won’t take long for the initial stock to sell through.

Via Slashgear