14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is not selling as many iPhone 5 units as it could, had Foxconn been able to churn up more units in time. But that’s not stopping the Cupertino giant from sourcing parts for the next-generation model, Chinese newspapers are reporting.
Citing a Chinese-language Commercial Times report, DigiTimes does its bit in spreading the word about a new version of the iPhone hitting the market next year.
Trial production of “a new version of its iPhone 5, or iPhone 5S,” is expected to commence as early as December “with initial production volumes likely to top 50,000-100,000 units,” according to the Taiwanese trade publication citing the Times report.
It adds that Apple’s iPhone 5 – the current-selling model – is facing low yield rates, a fact confirmed by Foxconn CEO Terry Gou himself.
The culprit is the extremely sensible aluminum enclosure, which makes it highly prone to scratches and dings.
“Facing low yield rates in the production of iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S,” the Chinese paper reportedly noted.
In other words, Apple is not willing to waste any time simply hoping for Foxconn to get their act together.
Work is already underway on the next-generation model, as the iPhone’s annual refresh cycle continues without a hitch.
The newspaper emphasizes that the iPhone 5S is likely to enter mass production in the first quarter of 2013 (December), and that Apple also has a new version of iPad planned for launch shortly after the new phone debuts.
If history is any indication, all this will go down in fall of 2013.
The refresh will be to the iPad mini, “since the display resolution of its latest version of iPad has come out lower than expected,” according to DigiTimes’ interpretation of the Commercial Times’ story.