iPad 2 delayed until June

Apple's shipments of a new version of its iPad tablet computer may be delayed to June from April because of “production bottlenecks” at manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, reports Bloomberg.

The delay arose after Cupertino, California-based Apple made design changes before the Lunar New Year, according to a report by Vincent Chen and Alison Chen, analysts at Yuanta Securities. Jill Tan, an Apple spokeswoman in Hong Kong, declined to comment on the report.

Edmund Ding, a spokesman for Hon Hai, didn't answer calls to his Taiwan and China mobile phones.

“Our checks suggest new issues are being encountered with the new production and it is taking time to resolve them,” said Chen in the report. “As a number of Android 3.0 tablets are being launched in April and May, the delay in iPad 2 shipments may give the Android camp a brief window of opportunity.”

According to Apple Insider, Hon Hai stock dropped 2% on the Taipei index Monday to its lowest close since Dec. 2 last year.

The publication says, the Yuanta report contradicts earlier reports also out of Asia that claim the iPad had already begun production this month.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that Apple could be planning a small event in March to mark the unveiling of the second-generation iPad, it says.

The imminent release speculation is fuelled by the fact that the first-gen iPad is starting to sell out at European retailers, writes Cnet. Carphone Warehouse out of 64GB WiFi models and all 3G versions of the device. It also points to stock shortages at Ingram Micro, one of Apple's major resellers in Europe, it says.

The publication also says, more fuel for the fire is provided by both Orange and T-Mobile in the UK dropping the price at which they're selling first-generation 3G iPads. The operators - linked through their Everything Everywhere parent company - are offering iPads for £99 on a 24-month contract, chopping £100 off the device's price.

The move has the whiff of a stock-clearing exercise ahead of the debut of a new model in the coming weeks.