Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has bought close to 60% of the total global touch panel capacity. This is making the supply tight for Apple competitors. Apple has an internal goal of shipping 40 million iPads in 2011. These figures are coming up Apple component suppliers. Now there is a shortage of touch panels. Some of Apple’s touch panel makers include Wintek and TPK. Now HP, Acer, and Samsung are working with smaller touch screen suppliers such as Sintek Photronic, Egalax-empia Technology (EETI), AimCore Technology and J Touch. [DigiTimes]

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has added a couple new touch panel suppliers to their list of partners for the rumored upcoming iPad 2 device. The two suppliers are said to be Chimei Innolux and Cando. These two are in addition to Wintek, Sintek Photronics, and TPK Touch Solutions. The suppliers believe that the iPad 2 will hit six million units per month. [DigiTimes]

Wintek Corporation is the company that was reported to be building touch panels for Apple last March.  The Apple product that Wintek was making touch panels for was unknown although there was speculation over a netbook.

The most recent rumor over the touch panel order that was made a couple months ago is that Apple is now working on an “e-book form factor netbook product” according to SlashGear.  The touchscreen device is expected to have VoIP, Internet access, and WiFi integration.

The product is unlikely to appear on the market until 2010 because of issues in dealing with a stable version of a mobile operating system.

Wintek is a Taiwanese company that builds TFTs, Touch Panels, STNs, etc.  Apple is one of their major customers.  Recently a Taipei-based publication stated that Wintek will supply touch panels for a new Apple product.  The new product is rumored to be a netbook although Macrumors has their doubts.  Netbooks are low-cost laptops, a market that Apple has officially stated that they do not have an interest in.  This was further evidenced by the higher priced line of Macs that they introduced earlier this month.

However Apple has been rumored to be working on some sort of product that is similar to a netbook.   A tablet Macbook is one of the products that is rumored to be next in Apple’s line of products.  I also wouldn’t rule out a smaller version of an iPhone too.  What are your guesses?  Leave a comment.