Apple Tells Suppliers to Cut iPhone XR and XS Production by 10% for Next Three Months

Apple is telling its suppliers to cut production on new iPhones by 10 percent over the course of the next three months, reports Nikkei.

Apple made the request of its suppliers late last month, asking them to produce fewer iPhones for the January-March quarter.

iphone xs vs xr
This is the second time that Apple has recently cut down on iPhone production, and Nikkei says Apple made the decision prior to issuing its guidance downgrade last week.

The production revision applies to all of Apple's new iPhone models, including the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. "The level of revision is different for each supplier and depends on the product mix they supply," an unnamed source told Nikkei.

A second source said that overall production volume of both new and old iPhones will be reduced by approximately 40 to 43 million units for the January-March quarter, down from an earlier projection of 47 to 48 million units.

Due to weak iPhone sales in China, the effects of the U.S.-China trade war, cheap battery replacements, and other factors, Apple cut its Q1 2019 revenue guidance to $84 billion, down from the $89 to $93 billion guidance issued in November, and with the production cuts, those issues may continue further into the year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook just today said, however, that reports suggesting the iPhone XR is a flop or selling poorly are "bologna," and that the device has been the best selling iPhone every day since it launched.

Tag: Nikkei
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
68 months ago
Alright, Mr. Cook, here's the "bologna" you requested. Eat up.

Score: 79 Votes (Like | Disagree)
panerista Avatar
68 months ago
Dun dun dun!


What's next on the "What can Tim do next?" show?
$2000 iPhone XIS
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nviz22 Avatar
68 months ago
I don't think Tim Cook is the right person for an Apple innovational rebound. If you want someone to produce strong financial results and please shareholders? Tim Cook is your guy. If you want someone who can pioneer an iPhone rebound, revitalize Siri, not demonstrate yesteryear Apple hubris, and be bold? Then Tim Cook isn't your guy.

I am not going to say pre-Jobs or post-Jobs arguments here. I am just going to critique Cook's tenure:

iOS 11 and its buggy fiasco, Siri being unshackled up a bit occurred way after the Google Assistant started its major strides, AirPower not even being out, iPad Pro and iPhone bending, lack of innovations w/ the iOS beyond being a touchscreen based environment, stagnant Mac products, etc.

I think Apple needs to understand that its "differentiation" is not going to work on branding alone. When you can get better features, good enough software, and more value from your purchases at a fraction of the price? You're probably leaning towards the more affordable product.

China is the most populous nation on the planet. Apple can still appease and entice their customers without resorting to Moto G pricing and products. To disrupt a mature market? It requires bold thinking and risk taking.

You have a processor capable of powering a laptop, but you have the OS that has UI elements since iOS 7 and the functionality of generations old Android software. Why, why, why?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bozzykid Avatar
68 months ago
Cutting production after the holiday shopping season is something the Apple has done every single year. It is neither surprising nor unexpected. Not sure why this appears to be some new strategy by Apple.
This isn't talking about scheduled production cuts. This report is saying an additional 10% cut more than was already planned.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mistasopz Avatar
68 months ago
Tim's strategy is to keep raising prices to offset losses. Brilliant idea.....
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DTphonehome Avatar
68 months ago
Must be because they’re selling so well, right Tim?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...