The recent announcement from Apple promising a greener future has fired up the rumor mill again with talks of LED backlit Macs. Which makes complete sense, but when will we expect those Macs to hit shelves? I’ll go out on a limb and say by Q4. Just in time for the holiday shopping season.
Industry sources in Taiwan are confirming both panel and component pieces are being tested and certified by Apple with shipments taking place by Q3. AU Optronics and Chi Mei Optoelectronics both have 13.3-inch and 15.4-inch panels in QA with Apple while Coretronic and Kenmos have their respective backlight units in QA.
Word on the street is that Apple plans to use Stanley Electric’s LED V-cut light-guide technology, which is Kenmos’ major shareholder. OK, what does that have to do with anything? Well, AUO and CMO are both said to be ramping up production of LED-based LCD modules sometime this quarter and in the next quarter. So CMO will be adopting Kenmos’ LED backlight units for the panels they plan to ship to Apple. Oh what a tangled web they’re weaving over in Taiwan.
Digi Times [via TG Daily]