14 DAY TRIAL // With the refreshed iPhone trio expected in September, Apple’s suppliers are fully prepared for a production boost if the demand is strong enough.
This is according to Bloomberg citing a couple of analysts projecting steady sales for Apple in the fall of 2019, partially thanks to the introduction of the new models.
Jeff Pu at GF Securities, for example, says Apple will most likely sell around 74 million iPhones, which is an increase of 7 percent from the same period a year ago. On the other hand, TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple can do even better, and he estimates a maximum of 80 million iPhone units sold in the second half of this year.
But while forecasts are extremely optimistic, at least from certain analysts, suppliers are still handling the whole thing with a certain amount of skepticism.
More significant upgrades due in 2020
Even if they’re ready to boost production in case the demand exists, suppliers would only do this if the existing inventory can’t keep up with sales across the world. This is a cautious approach that prevents stocks from piling up in the case of slow sales.
Apple will unveil three different iPhones this year, and all of them are successors to the models already on the market. 2019 will be the last year with an LCD iPhone, as the iPhone XR upgrade coming this year will use the same display tech as the original model launched in 2018. Beginning with 2020, all iPhones are expected to use OLED.
The 2020 generation itself is projected to feature major upgrades, including the addition of a 5G model, so some analysts believe that the 2019 lineup could serve as a transition release in anticipation of these more substantial upgrades planned for the next year.