Sales of small-size iPad products have remained flat in the fourth quarter of 2015, affecting operations of some makers in the supply chain, according to industry sources.

Taiwan-based Coretronic, one of the major backlight unit (BLU) suppliers for Apple, reportedly has slimmed down its work force at its plants in Chunan, northern Taiwan as well as in Tainan Science-based Industrial Park in southern Taiwan.

Coretronic has also closed one of its subsidiaries in Nanjing, China, reflecting a serious setback of its orders, said the sources.

Meanwhile, the recently released iPad mini 4 may also fail to rekindle consumer demand as the new iPad model has come with few modifications, the sources commented.

Since Apple has been the top vendor in the global tablet market, the flat sales of iPad devices will affect the performance of the makers in the supply chain, said the sources.