14 DAY TRIAL // A report out of Taiwan reveals that small Retina displays, such as the ones found in the iPad mini, are harder to manufacture, compared to larger Retina displays destined to go inside the iPad Air.
Also, this has been the main reason for the delayed iPad mini 2 shipments, according to sources cited by DigiTimes.
The sources explained that, “Shortages of Retina displays were the main reason causing the iPad mini to suffer from tight supply since manufacturing a 7-inch Retina display is more difficult than a 9.7-inch one.”
The reason is simple. Manufacturers had to cram inside a smaller frame the same number of pixels found inside a 9.7-inch Retina panel. No wonder, then, that the second-generation iPad mini couldn't be found in stores until mid-November.
The iPad Air, on the other hand, is seeing “much more stable supply,” according to the sources.