AU Optronics (AUO) is expected to see its shipments of tablet PC panels, mostly 10.1-inch models, increase substantially in the second quarter of 2011, according to industry sources.

Although not yet entering the supply chain for iPad, AUO aims to take up a 50% share of the global non-iPad tablet panel market in 2011, AUO executive vice president Paul Peng said earlier.

Global shipments of tablet PCs are expected to top 60 million units in 2011, of which iPads will account for 35-40 million and non-iPads will total 20-25 million, estimated industry sources, noting that this means AUO will ship up to 10 million table PC panels for the year.

Chimei Innolux (CMI), which has been selected as a supplier of IPS panels for iPad, is still waiting for verification from Apple, which will enable CMI to start shipping tablet PC panels in May, the sources noted.

In other news, Samsung Electronics shipped a total of four million 9.7-inch panels for iPads in the first quarter, outpacing rival LG Display (LGD) as the largest tablet PC panel supplier for Apple, the sources indicated. LGD's iPad panel shipments reached only 3.2 million units in the first quarter.

LGD was forced to reduce its shipments in the first quarter due to light leakage problem for panels produced at its 6G production lines. The company reportedly has fixed the problem and will resume shipment momentum to Apple in the second quarter, said the sources.