14 DAY TRIAL // The iPhone X is now just around the corner, and rumor has it that Apple will ready only 3 million units for the first weekend, which means the device will probably be sold out shortly after the pre-order program goes live.
A report from DigiTimes indicates that Foxconn will manage to ship between 25 million and 30 million iPhone X units by the end of the year, and while this seems like a good number, it’s actually lower than what Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo from KGI Securities originally estimated.
His previous forecast pointed to a maximum of 35 million iPhone X units shipped by December 31, but it turns out that production has been slower than expected due to the low yield rates and technical issues with certain components.
Shipments will reach the desired pace in early 2018, with the same report pointing to a 50 percent on-quarter growth next year when the majority of suppliers resolve production issues. At this point, the 3D sensing modules that are being used for the Face ID cameras are recording increasing yield rate at LG Innotek and Sharp, and shipments should reach the target pace in November and December.
Record sales thanks to the iPhone X
The iPhone X, however, is still expected to generate record sales for Apple, though due to the limited supply first-quarter figures are likely to be well below expectations.
What’s worse for Apple is that the iPhone 8 isn’t doing well either, mostly because the majority of customers delay buying a new iPhone due to the imminent launch of the new model. Until now, iPhone 8 sales have been “anemic,” carriers suggested, and they are unlikely to increase given that the iPhone X is just around the corner.
As compared to the iPhone 8, the iPhone X comes with a series of major improvements, including a bezel-less OLED display, facial recognition, and no fingerprint sensor, with the top-of-the-range model to be available in the United States for $1,149.