Apple iPad Production Closer To Matching DemandApple iPad Production Closer To Matching Demand

LG Display is the company behind the iPad's 9.7-inch LCD screen. According to a new research note from Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar, the company must have made some changes. The wait time for new iPads has dropped from seven to 10 days (when ordered from the Apple Web site) down to three to five.

In July, LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo said that the company was having a hard time making enough of the screens for Apple. The iPad's 9.7-inch display is an LED-backlit, glossy widescreen, multitouch panel with IPS (in-plane switching) and 1024-by-768-pixel resolution.

"Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can't meet it all," he said at the time. "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."

LG hasn't confirmed if it boosted production, but the reduced wait times suggest as much.

As for the iPhone, Kumar believes the wait will be significantly less by September. If ordered today, customers wanting an iPhone 4 will have to wait three weeks for the device to ship. The iPhone 4 is also seeing constrained display supply issues.

Kumar notes that the improved supply issues and better availability of both devices will help lift Apple's third quarter sales to 14 million iPhones and between 5 and 6 million iPads.

Both devices are hard to come by both online and at retail stores. Kumar thinks that once Apple catches up to the back-ordered demand, the iPhone 4 and iPad will actually be on hand in Apple stores.

[Via GigaOM]