iPad Price Slash Suggests iPad2 On The Way

Major UK retailers are either chopping the price of the current iPad or running out of stock, implying Apple might release the iPad2 sometime soon.

According to reports, the 3G model is completely out of stock at the Carphone Warehouse, while those buying the device with a 24-month contract have seen its price tag slashed to £99 at Orange. However, the operator claims the price reduction will last for a “limited time only”.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile has also reduced the cost of the iPad for its existing customers from £199 to £99.

Speculations are surrounding the possibility that Apple might launch the second-generation iPad in a couple of weeks.

iPad2 production delayed

According to Taiwanese brokerage Yuanta Securities, however, the iPad2’s release date has been postponed from an April launch to a June launch.

“Our checks suggest new issues are being encountered with the new production process and it is taking time to resolve them,” said Vincent Chen, Yuanta’s head of downstream tech equities.

Reports have cited some design changes that Apple added to the tablet earlier this month as the root of the production delay.

Meanwhile, the iPad2 is believed to be slimmer and lighter than its mega-selling predecessor, offering a faster processor, more memory, a USB port for connecting to other devices and, for the first time, front and rear cameras.

However, Apple is likely to forgo including its high-definition Retina Display in the new tablet. Instead, the iPad 3 will be the company’s first tablet capable of 2048 x 1536 resolution.