DigiTimes comes up with a new update from Apple’s suppliers citing a 20% cut in production targets for iPad mini for second quarter of 2013. This comes well synced up with rumours suggesting a Retina Display based iPad mini that Apple is planning to launch after the launch of next generation iPad. With the success of small screen tablets, Apple launched its smaller version of iPad which slowly started eating away the share of iPad itself in the market. Analysts claim that there is a drastic shift in sales stats for iPads in 2013 because of iPad mini. But the latest news on cut of iPad mini shipments is also linked up to the success stories of Android based 7″ tablets like the Nexus 7 from Google and Kindle Fire range of tablets form Amazon which are doing impressively well to rival iPad mini in the US markets.
As per the reports the current target for Apple is to sell around 10 to 12 million units of iPad mini for this quarter and continue with similar number of units for the following quarter till the new iPad mini is launched. The latest expectations from research firm NPD suggests that Apple is likely to sell 55 million units of iPad mini for the year of 2013 which seems to a difficult target for Apple going by the latest reports.
Rumours suggest the new version of iPad mini with additions like the retina display, better processor, better camera and more RAM will continue the success story of the previous version, hope the launch of new iPad mini will help Apple push the sales of iPads and reach its target of 55 million units for the year.