Apple will be making several changes to the suppliers of its products in 2020, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
For starters, Kuo expects Chinese company Goertek to begin assembly of AirPods Pro in the first half of the year. The addition of a second supplier alongside Luxshare Precision should help improve supply of the popular earphones, which continue to face multi-week shipping estimates on Apple.com.
Luxshare itself will replace Quanta Computer as the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of S-series chips for the new Apple Watch in 2020, aka Series 6 models if Apple sticks with its naming trend, Kuo added.
And last, Kuo expects Chinese manufacturer BYD Electronic to replace Quanta Computer as the sole assembler of the iPod touch in 2020, as well as obtain at least 10-20 percent of non-cellular iPad orders. Naturally, if this goes well, the company is expected to receive an even larger percentage of orders in 2021 and beyond.
Kuo outlined these details in a research note with investment firm TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors.
Top Stories
Apple Sending Replacement AirPods With Unreleased Firmware, Rendering Them Unusable
Customers who require a replacement AirPod from Apple have in some cases been receiving an AirPod running 2D3 firmware, which is not a version of the AirPods firmware that's been publicly released.
As described on the MacRumors forum and Reddit (via iMore), customers who get an AirPod with the 2D3 firmware are unable to pair it with the existing unreplaced AirPod, leaving the AirPods unable...
Facebook Launches 'Tuned' Messaging App for Couples
Facebook has quietly released Tuned, a new messaging app designed to provide a "private space" for couples to connect, reports The Information.
Designed by NPE, an experimental group within the company that was established last year, the app encourages couples to share messages, notes, cards, voice memos, photos and Spotify songs with each other, thereby creating a "digital scrapbook" of...
'Leaked' Images Allegedly Show iPhone 12 With Smaller Notch, Rear Camera Redesign, and Home Screen Widgets
Two images shared on social media this morning are currently stoking speculation about possible hardware redesigns coming to the iPhone 12 and the potential introduction of Home screen widgets in iOS 14.
Shared by Twitter user Fudge (choco_bit), the images depict a front and rear graphical representation of a smartphone with interface elements on the screen, suggesting it came out of a...
LG Begins Rolling Out 2020 NanoCell TVs With AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, Pricing Starts at $599
LG today announced pricing and availability for its 2020 NanoCell TVs with AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support in the United States.
The first 4K models are rolling out now, with pricing starting at $599 for a 55-inch model. The entire 4K lineup will be released by September, including up to an 86-inch model for $3,299. 8K models will also be rolling out in May and June, including 65-inch and...
Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.4.1 With Fix for FaceTime Bug
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.4.1, minor updates that come two weeks after the release of iOS and iPadOS 13.4, major updates that introduced iCloud Folder Sharing, a new Mail toolbar, trackpad support for the iPad, and more.
The iOS and iPadOS 13.4.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General...
Leaker Claims New 13-inch MacBook Pro Coming as Soon as Next Month
Apple will announce a new 13-inch MacBook Pro in May with the codename J223, according to a rumor shared by YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser. Note: it’s a refresh to the current 13” So the bigger 14” display upgrade is a big possibility— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 4, 2020 Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with scissor keyboards ...
Apple Reportedly Targeting WWDC for Over-Ear Headphones Launch, New 'AirPods X' Later in the Year
Rumors of Apple-branded over-ear headphones have been circulating for quite some time, while more recent rumors have mentioned an "AirPods Pro Lite" that could also be in the works, and Twitter leaker Jon Prosser's recent foray into Apple rumors provides a bit more detail on what we might able to expect for these products.
Current Beats Studio3 Wireless and BeatsX On the over-ear side,...
2020 iPad Pro Confirmed to Lack a U1 Ultra Wideband Chip
Last week, we laid out evidence suggesting that the just-released iPad Pro models do not contain a U1 Ultra Wideband chip, including the lack of any mention of the chip in tech specs or Apple's press materials, the absence of software support for U1 features, and more. Most tellingly, iFixit was unable to find the chip or related antennas in the device.
Daring Fireball's John Gruber has follo...
Apple Shares Assembly and Use Instructions for New Face Shields, Shipping 1 Million Per Week to Medical Workers
Following this weekend's news from Tim Cook that Apple is working with its supply chain to produce a million face shields per week for medical workers, the company has shared a support document outlining how to assemble and adjust the shields.
The document includes a series of images and animations showing how the simple three-piece product can be assembled for either a regular fit or with...
HBO GO and HBO NOW Will No Longer Be Available on 2nd and 3rd Gen Apple TVs Starting April 30
HBO today announced that its HBO GO and HBO NOW streaming services will no longer be available on second-generation and third-generation Apple TV models starting April 30, 2020.
In a support document on its website, HBO says this change is being made "in order to provide the best streaming experience":In order to provide the best streaming experience, we need to make some changes to our...
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
Qualcomm vs Intel was a pretty important one people were concerned about. Also, Samsung vs TSMC.Honest question: does anybody outside of Apple, the suppliers and perhaps Wall Street analysts care about which supplier Apple is using for a certain product or product component? I never understood why rumor sites considered these stories newsworthy.
Why not hold off until the Series 8? It'll be even better.apple watch series 6 huh? Maybe I will wait for series 7 and ditch my series 2?
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/10/16/quanta-may-stop-apple-watch-assembly-2020/amp/
I’m sure Apple appreciates your concern, but they’ll be ok. Cook probably only has another two or three decades of tenure so when he decides to leave, they may indeed feel the loss of his supply chain expertise.Instead of shifting away from China and diversifying, Apple doubles down on it. China has Apple by the balls and it’s getting more and more concerning. It’s time for Tim to go. The “supply chain genius” does not seem to consider the longterm consequences.
But someone else will probably be available to take over Jeff Williams’s spot and the supply chain experts reporting to him
It’s time for Tim to go. The “supply chain genius” does not seem to consider the longterm consequences.
But..Tim isn’t leaving, And I think you know that already, but I digress. But lets talk about what do we know v.s unrealistic projections. The success of the Watch is based on the future suppliers that Apple coordinated through Cooks supply relations. Say what you want, but don’t deny his expertise with what he has executed with logistics/coordination.1.) The iPad Pro
2.) The iPod Touch (they really need to make it the size of the iPhone Xs Max (or 11 or whatever)
3.) A true iPad Mini Pro (with the same curved edges and Pencil support as the Pro.