Display problems could delay new iPad

Analysts are claiming manufacturing yields of the high-resolution "Retina" display of Apple's new iPad are lower than Apple would like and could mean shortages. The display has a resolution of 2048 by 1536, giving a pixel-per-inch value 264, the highest of any tablet computer. Its saturation has also been increased to get the most out of images and video. NPD DisplaySearch says the new display is manufactured by Sharp, Samsung and LG, and Sharp in particular is having trouble producing the cutting-edge display on such a large scale. Yields of the panels reportedly aren't where Apple and Sharp want them to be, and Sharp is rumored to have switched to a different thin-film transistor technology in an effort to improve output and avoid delays in iPad deliveries, slashgear.com reported. How quickly Apple's suppliers can ramp up display production will be key to supply-and-demand issues, analysts said. Supplies of the iPad 2 are said to have matched demand only several months after it first launched. The new iPad already has a delay of two to three weeks on new orders, slashgear.com said, which could be an ongoing issue with the display production issues.