Yield rates for some iPhone X components have improved and become more stable, allowing for shipments of the upcoming smartphone to grow substantially after October, according to sources from Apple's supply chain.
Yesterday it was reported that Apple manufacturer Foxconn has started shipping its first iPhone X units from its main plant in Zhengzhou, China. The same sources are now reporting improved production yield rates for key parts such as the 3D sensing modules, signaling the first positive indicator from suppliers previously struggling to meet Apple's demand.
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The first batch of iPhone X devices has already been shipped out from Foxconn Electronics' site in Zhengzhou (Henan, China), said the sources. With production yield rates for certain key components such as 3D sensing modules improving, shipments of the device have increased gradually and will meet Apple's demand ahead of the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the sources indicated.
DigiTimes quoted sources at analog IC vendors who said that chip deliveries for the iPhone X have been on schedule up to now, with orders fulfilled on time for the device in the third quarter. The same sources claimed they were not aware of any production delays or shipment cutbacks, contradicting media reports and analyst claims of supply issues, particularly with respect to tricky-to-manufacture 3D sensing modules used in Apple's new TrueDepth camera.
Chip orders for the iPhone X are now expected to grow through the fourth quarter of 2017, before slowing down in the first quarter of the following year, said the sources.
At the same time however, other supply chain sources have sounded a note of caution over the late availability of the iPhone X and worries about pre-order demand for the device outstripping supply, with a supply/demand balance not achievable until the first quarter of 2018.
There are some suggestions that iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus sales have been lower than expected, as the public bides their time until the more feature-rich iPhone X hits stores, although with no actual sales figures at hand, this is still purely speculation.
Pre-orders for the iPhone X start on Friday, October 27, with the device's official launch the following Friday, November 3.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Personally I'd wait a couple of months to make sure Apple (and suppliers) have ironed out obvious manufacturing issues.
Good for youThis is a major redesign. We don't have to be guinea pigs.
Please everyone follow this example ....... That way i wont have to get up at 3am to pre-order and still get the phone on launch day (and if something is wrong with it, i just exchange it ... But i anyway never had an issue with my launch day phone, and i do this every year)
- YESTERDAY: “Apple is doooooooooooomed”
- TODAY: “everything’s fineeeeee”.
Massive improvements from a cataclysmic report THROUGH. A. SINGLE. DAY.
Is ANYBODY really thinking there’s somebody over here (a very broad “here”, not specifically MacRumors) holding his/her [redacted-but-you-know-the-word] on this matter?
This is ridiculous. Really.
Please, stop writing about the nothingness: it's exhausting.
Sometimes it's a sign of quality and professionality to NOT say that "reportedly" happened something. And news outlet like Engadget, The Verge or clickbait-and-ads-in-chief-Mashable are not a guarantee, too. Distinguish yourself, guys.
Thank you and sorry for the rant.
This whole debacle has been painful... roll on pre-order day so we can finally be put out of our misery about this supply/demand crap!
Cut and paste news stories from every iPhone release, Classic click bait.This is a major redesign. We don't have to be guinea pigs.