KGI: Only 2-3 Million iPhone X Units Available Next Week
Expect a low number of iPhone X units available at launch …
When pre-orders for the iPhone X begin one week from today, Apple suppliers will have shipped just 2-3 million units for sale. Supply shortages for several components are the reason behind the low number, according to a new investor report from KGI Securities (via 9to5Mac).
According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the “biggest hurdle” for iPhone X shipments is the flexible printed circuit board for the antenna system.
One supplier, Murata, was originally planned to satisfy most of the orders for the antenna PCB but has failed to meet Apple’s requirements. As such, another supplier is now believed to be manufacturing all antenna boards for the first few months.
The wide angle camera circuit board is considered the next biggest bottleneck in the report. KGI says that Apple’s camera system for iPhone X uses separate PCBs for the telephoto and wide angle lenses, which is unlike designs from Samsung phones. As such, it appears suppliers have hit issues manufacturing the ‘unique’ boards at volume.
Regarding the dot projector, KGI says previous problems relating to detection of human faces in certain conditions have now been resolved and shipments are set to ramp up significantly.
Pre-orders for iPhones during the first weekend typically top 10 million units. With only 2-3 million units ready to go before the iPhone X launches on Nov. 3, there will almost certainly be a lot of upset people during the early hours of Oct. 27.
If you’re looking for good news, KGI also notes productions of the circuit boards and dot projector will increase dramatically in November, “which should allow Apple to increase iPhone X output quickly after the release.”
Hoping to score an iPhone X as early as possible? Check out our report, “Follow These Simple Steps for iPhone X Pre-Ordering.”
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