Other tablet manufacturers say that daunting component prices continue to hold back
production of tablet displays that offer high resolutions and high pixel - per - inch ratios.
«While Quanta last week acknowledged that it had laid off a significant number of production workers from a factory focused on producing the PlayBook,» Vinh wrote, «our research indicates that the ODM has essentially
halted production of the tablet.»
Amazon has slashed prices of its Kindle HD tablets to as low as $ 169 in the US and 139 pounds in Britain, while Barnes & Noble has cut the price of its Nook to as low as $ 129, and has announced plans to
outsource production of its tablets.
Reports from early last month
claimed production of the tablet was being put on hold as suppliers continue to struggle to keep up with demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
What should we take away from News Corp.'s recent announcement that it is writing off losses stemming from its digital education wing Amplify, ceasing
its production of tablets for schoolchildren, and selling off its educational software and assessment services?
Barnes and Noble's NOOK strategy is now to reduce losses by continuing to design their ereaders, while outsourcing the design and
production of their tablets.
Ming - Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities, also predicts that the iPad that will be launched in 2016 will not include 3D Touch due to issues in
the production of the tablet.
However,
the production of the tablet is expected to hit over 4.5 million by the first quarter of next year.