Problems at LG Displays’ production lines may have played a part in Apple’s struggle to meet demand for the iPad 2, according to a new report. Citing anonymous industry sources, DigiTimes reports that Samsung shipped a total of four million 9.7-inch IPS panels for iPads in the first quarter, outpacing the 3.2 million delivered by LG Displays. LG is said to have forcibly reduced its first quarter shipments due to a light leakage problem with panels produced at its 6G production lines, although the problem is said to have been fixed. A number of iPad 2 owners reported problems with backlight light leakage shortly after the device’s release. The report also notes that Chimei Innolux has been selected as a supplier of iPad 2 IPS display panels, but is still awaiting verification from Apple, and is expected to start shipping panels this month. A prior report indicated that Innolux had been added by Apple as a third supplier of touchscreen sensors for the iPad 2.
Charles Starrett was a senior editor at iLounge. He's been covering the iPod, iPhone, and iPad since their inception. He has written numerous articles and reviews, and his work has been featured in multiple publications.