Display Shortage to Cause iPad Delays Until 2011

In a bit of corporate irony, LG has announced that it will be cutting production of LCD displays even while acknowledging that the company can't keep up with demand for iPad displays. This will lead to iPad shortages until next year.

"Demand [from Apple] keeps growing and we can't meet it all. Apple may have to delay launches of the iPad for some countries due to tight component supplies and strong demand. We are considering increasing production lines for iPad products but overall supply is likely to remain tight until early next year," said LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo.

LG's troubles come from waning demand for LCD TVs, partially because of market saturation as well as tougher economic times for consumers. This has caused LG to scale back LCD TV display manufacturing, although Kwon said he expects TV demand to pick up to normal levels in September.

As for Apple, the company recently announed that it sold just under 3.5 million iPads, and the popular tablet is going on sale in nine new countries at the end of this week. Analysts predict that iPad demand will continue to increase, even though the display shortage is already causing concerns for iPad suppliers.

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