Apple’s iPad Goliath may have finally met its David — the iPad mini.

Demand for the iPad mini has forced Sharp to shift display production away from the larger iPad, sources told Reuters. Production of 9.7-inch displays has practically come to a halt in one of Sharp’s Japanese factories, the sources say.

Since the beginning, Apple pundits have heaped praise on the iPad mini, even going as far as to call the device the “real iPad” (and causing Ghost Steve Jobs to puke in his mouth).

While there is doubtless some sales cannibalization between the Apple tablets (as many analysts have long predicted), Sharp’s production cut doesn’t point directly to any one cause. It could, for example, just as easily point to a seasonal shift in demand. It’s tough to know either way.

Sharp’s official response? “We don’t disclose production levels.”

Further complicating speculation, Reuters also talked to sources at Samsung and LG, none of whom reported any major changes in iPad display production at the companies.

The Sharp news comes days after The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple halved its orders on components for the iPhone 5. That report helped push Apple’s stock below $500 for the first time in a year. Hopefully today’s news won’t push it down any further.

Filed under: VentureBeat

Categorised as: Chief Digital Officer | Digital Media | Feedster

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