iPhone 5 Release Date To Be Hit With Squeezed Supply Chain [Rumor]
The iPhone 5 release date is just around the corner, and, in traditional rumor fashion, analysts are pointing to lower than expected iPhone 5 supply levels.
DigiTimes on Wednesday quoted several sources that claim the company’s Eastern supply chain will leave the world’s largest tech firm with a shortage of nearly 25 percent for original orders.
The report claims that Apple’s switch to a new “in-cell” touchscreen platform has led to unforeseeable problems that caused Apple to push back its initial production schedule from 20 million initial iPhone 5 units to less than 15 million units. Despite the lack of supply and recent reports that Apple sales are slipping, customers are still expected to pick up the iPhone 5 in record numbers.
According to Digitimes:
“Issues related to the poor yields of in-cell panels have been cited previously as possibly disrupting Apple’s shipping schedule for new iPhones. The latest rumors indicate that Apple has recently redesigned a connector at the bottom of the new iPhone and that yield rates of the new connectors at Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) have been low due in part to insufficient supply of some key materials.”
Sales are expected to be brisk for the device, which will feature a larger 4-inch display along with 4G LTE data technology and the ability to make mobile payments with added Near-Field Communications (NFC) support.
When revealed during Apple’s September 12 press conference, the device is expected to come in at a super thin 7.6 millimeters thanks to a new dock connector that will be far smaller than the company’s current 30-pin standard option.
