Apple delays larger iPad production till September - reports

REUTERS - Apple Inc will delay the start of production on a larger, 12.9-inch iPad until around September because of delays involving the supply of display panels, according to two media reports.

Production on the bigger tablet had been scheduled to begin this quarter, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the company's plans. (http://bloom.bg/1M6JYcL)

Apple suppliers have been told to start production of the larger-screen iPad in the second half of this year as the company explores new designs and features for the enterprise market, the Wall Street Journal reported. (http://on.wsj.com/1DXU6CY)

Apple is now considering adding USB ports and adopting a faster technology that promises to transfer data up to 10 times faster than current USB ports, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company has also been considering adding ports to connect to a keyboard and mouse, the Journal report said.

While suppliers are gearing up to ship the new 12-inch MacBook Air in large quantities in the second quarter, Apple's launch schedule remains unclear, the newspaper said.

Reuters could not immediately reach Apple for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

(Reporting by Edwin Chan in San Francisco and Supriya Kurane in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)