14 DAY TRIAL // People who are reportedly privy to the iPhone 5 roadmap at Pegatron Technology claim to have learned that Apple’s manufacturing partner is gearing up to ship 10 million next-generation handsets for a September launch.
Corroborating some rumors while deflecting others, the DigiTimes report quoting the usual industry sources indicates Cupertino is on track to launch a new iPhone early this fall, not in October, as other sources have claimed.
Citing a person with knowledge of Apple’s short-term plans, the Wall Street Journal’s All Things D blog reported on Monday that the fifth-generation iPhone would be launched in October.
The person in question had added that the October launch was not tied to AT&T blocking employee vacations during the last two weeks of September.
Today, the aforementioned Taiwanese trade publication says their industry sources have obtained vital information as to when the next iPhone is going to ship.
They say it will be in September, when Pegatron Technology is slated to have some 10 million A5-powered smartphones ready for Apple.
Hon Hai subsidiary, Foxconn, is also expected to have landed a big order to assemble iPhone 5 handsets for this year, and the next.
However, details about the iPhone 5 assembly lines overseen by Chinese magnate Terry Gou remain under wraps.
Pegatron is known to have scored a big contract with Apple to manufacture the upcoming iPad 3 as well.
The Taiwanese paper notes that Pegatron aims to compete not only for iPad orders, but also for MacBook Air and other Apple products, mainly because iPhone gross margins are relatively small.
Pegatron has reportedly increased production equipment and employment, according to the industry sources cited in the report.
Although not necessarily of great importance to Apple fans, it is worth noting that the electronics assembler also expects to obtain ODM orders for 8-10 million notebooks form Acer for 2012.