Apple Inc. is reportedly cutting the shipments of their newest tablet, the iPad Mini . These reductions of shipments will take the number of devices being shipped to between 10 and 12 million for the second quarter of 2013.
The final cut, according to numerous sources, could be as much as 20 percent and could eventually see less than nine million iPad Minis getting shipped a month. While some people will think this is an odd sales strategy for a tablet that is still pretty popular, most believe this is all in preparation for another generation of the smaller tablet .
Apple Inc. is also taking on quite a bit of competition from Google when it comes to 7-inch tablets. While the iPad Mini is actually seeing better shipment numbers than the full sized iPad, the market is quite saturated with smaller screen tablets.
Larger screen smart phones, sometimes called Phablets, have further eaten into the revenues that a smaller iPad can haul in. The computing giant expects to be shipping about 33 million iPads this year, compared to 55 million iPad Minis.
The step down in shipment numbers could mean that the next generation of the Mini will be coming in the third quarter of this year. That would put the next generation in line with the company’s usual sales approach.
It would mean that the second generation Mini would be out just in time for the Holiday shopping season. As usual, the company has stayed tight lipped over any of these rumors.
Current CEO Tim Cook is following in the steps of his predeccesor Steve Jobs when it comes to not confirming anything until he is good and ready. Cook has stuck to the tenets of not announcing a new product until it is almost ready to hit the market.
Apple Inc. won’t be letting us know the exact reason for cutting the shipments until they feel its time.