Apple has asked LG Display for an urgent supply of iPad screen panels to meet the demand for iPad products in the Asian market due to a surge in demand for tablets affected by the new coronavirus outbreak, according to the Business Korea.
The report said that LG Display will start running the production line at full speed as early as June to meet Apple's urgent needs.
Originally Apple eliminated screen orders in the second quarter of this year, but in March of this year, iPads were already at low inventory levels in China, indicating that Apple far underestimated the surge in demand for tablets due to school closures.
One industry commentator responded to the above by saying, "This particular request by Apple is unusual considering that suppliers typically place orders at least three months in advance to facilitate sourcing of raw materials and production of products."
They said LG had to do its best to complete the order to gain the trust of its biggest customers, and since China's BOE and Japan's Sharp are also major suppliers of Apple's iPad panels, LG Display needed to respond quickly to Apple's request to avoid losing the order to competitors.
