Apple Planning to Make Over 40 Million iPhones in Next 12 Months?

[MacRumors]

BusinessWeek claims that Apple's manufacturing plans for the iPhone are rather ambitious. According to their sources, Apple is planning to build 40 million to 45 million iPhone 3Gs in the next 12 months.

While final sales can't be known until after the fact, clues are emerging as to Apple's production plans. As of mid-August, they were ambitious, BusinessWeek has learned. Apple plans to build 40 million to 45 million iPhone 3Gs in the 12 months through August 2009, according to a person familiar with the company's plans.

The article goes on to say that daily production of the iPhone 3G is now at 150,000 units per day. These numbers are close to previous claims that Apple is producing 800,000 devices a week.

Part of the ramp up in production is, of course, due to Apple's aggressive international expansion. The Apple's iPhone 3G is launching internationally in 20 countries today.

Article Link

 

[myod-rules]

Smashing past 10 million!

 

[Prof.]

So... are these iPhones actually gonna work? I mean, they'll get 3G service right?

 

[Solosmooth]

Oh good, more iphones. Apple is gonna have to make as many as they can for the recall. Only 2% of the market is affected? Yeah, Right

 

[raskar]

So... are these iPhones actually gonna work? I mean, they'll get 3G service right?

For God sake stop moaning about your 3G service.. all the people i know have no problems with their 3G reception!! Battery life impact I agree but apple already said that this will be an issue.

Some people just keep on and on..

 

[nos]

Great!

I'm not upgrading to 3G, I like the looks of the first gen.
The 3G is awfully expensive in Belgium too,
the only incentive to buy it is turn by turn GPS right now.

 

[entropys]

I find this hardly credible. Possible if there is a larger number of models, especially lower spec models at a lower price point. Like an iphone nano. 40 million is similar to the number of ipods, which all sell at a lower price.

Not possible as a single smartphone model. How many blackberries have been sold in total? About 15 million isn't it?

 

[zigziggityzoo]

Arn, do you ever sleep?

 

[nanaky]

For God sake stop moaning about your 3G service.. all the people i know have no problems with their 3G reception!! Battery life impact I agree but apple already said that this will be an issue.

Some people just keep on and on..

Yeah, all the people i know has no problems with 3G...

 

[koobcamuk]

Arn, do you ever sleep?

I don't think he does... but you must remember that when posting under the name MacRumors, it can be one of many people making that post

 

[DonSqueak]

Apple must be careful now: If they expand to quickly the overall ability to cope with problems on so many battle-fields is going to decrease rapidly. They are in a rather nasty dilemma now:

A) They can't stop expanding, because the stock market would kill them. Companies always have to increase profitability, right? Moving backwards or standing still is no option.

B) If they expand (see A), they might lose focus. See MobileMe, iPhone BugWare, Cracking Plastic, 3G Nonreception issues etc. Oh, and they do develop other stuff as well, so they need more ppl.

C) Having more people becomes a problem of control and, if ever something goes wrong, the FiringPeopleIsNotPopular backlash sets in.

D) etc.

;-) dsq

 

[k'five]

For God sake stop moaning about your 3G service.. all the people i know have no problems with their 3G reception!!

Yes! Get it right you twits.

1. If Raskar doesn't know anyone with the problem, there is no problem!!!
2. Shutup until you are instructed to speak!

I look forward to the day Apple hires Raskar for customer service, and discovers they can lay everyone else in the department off, since there really are no hardware & software failures, only customer failures.

 

[solipsism]

I find this hardly credible. Possible if there is a larger number of models, especially lower spec models at a lower price point. Like an iphone nano. 40 million is similar to the number of ipods, which all sell at a lower price.

Not possible as a single smartphone model. How many blackberries have been sold in total? About 15 million isn't it?

1) Cellphones vastly outsell cellphones. In the US, 17% of them are smartphones, a number which as been increasing because of the iPhone, and just with sales of the iPhone but for all smartphones as they no longer considered hardcore business or geek devices.

2) If you have to have a cellphone and you want an iPod for music and/or video getting an iPhone isn't a bad way to go. You get to consolidate two devices into one and get much better iPod experience than if you just had a Nano for $200 or more. Since you're already paying a monthly fee for cellular service adding the data package to get a great mobile internet experience on a phone you actually like is a big draw, even if it doesn't have some of the features you wish it did.

3) RiM has said it expects to sell its 40 millionth device this summer. Its subscriber base will probably be just under 20 million.

4) The 2nd quarter of this calendar year RiM sold 5.4 million devices. That is over 20 million for the year if all things are equal, but smartphones are on the rise and their Thunder is due out mid-October. There is also the Holiday quarter but i figure the 22% drop in the 1st quarter pretty much cancels that out.

 

[patricksan]

Great!

I'm not upgrading to 3G, I like the looks of the first gen.
The 3G is awfully expensive in Belgium too,
the only incentive to buy it is turn by turn GPS right now.

I hope some of them come to Belgium. Because it is quite difficult to find them here.


Patrick

 

[princealfie]

40 million isn't that much when you compare to the number of Hondas and Toyotas sold per year. Come on, it's a phone and pumping out 3 million per month isn't gonna sweat Apple any more than those kiddies throwing out Big Macs to the unsuspecting dopeheads who munch those suckers each and everyday. Didn't the Big McD claim selling their billionth Big M. back in the early 90's. Apple has a LONG way before catching up to McD on peddling their delicious iPhone

 

[DonSqueak]

40 million isn't that much when you compare to the number of Hondas and Toyotas sold per year. Come on, it's a phone and pumping out 3 million per month isn't gonna sweat Apple any more than those kiddies throwing out Big Macs to the unsuspecting dopeheads who munch those suckers each and everyday. Didn't the Big McD claim selling their billionth Big M. back in the early 90's. Apple has a LONG way before catching up to McD on peddling their delicious iPhone

40 million isn't much compared to 40 gazillion. What does that prove? How are phones burgers? Why would one eat an iPhone? What are you talking about?

;-) dsq.

 

[princealfie]

40 million isn't much compared to 40 gazillion. What does that prove? How are phones burgers? Why would one eat an iPhone? What are you talking about?

;-) dsq.

Well, the iPhone is a consumer product. The Big McD is a consumer product. For me, they are consumer goods in the end and seeing as the iPhone has a higher profit margin, I prefer to see Apple dominate Mickey D's very soon as a lifestyle product.

Plus, iPhone is better for vegans ya know?

 

[macwall]

that's a lot of iphones

 

[DonSqueak]

Well, the iPhone is a consumer product. The Big McD is a consumer product. For me, they are consumer goods in the end and seeing as the iPhone has a higher profit margin, I prefer to see Apple dominate Mickey D's very soon as a lifestyle product.

Plus, iPhone is better for vegans ya know?

Based on that you could compare Jaguar cars to toilet paper. You have to differentiate, you know, cuz otherwise everything is the same, i. e. everything becomes BigMacs.

dsq.

 

[matthewlesh]

150,000 units per day

Holy Crap.. think about that everyone.. that's just amazing.

They must be raking in some big $$$...

But also at those leavls how can they keep up quality control.. [well i guess by employing more cute iPhone girls]

 

[kjs862]

Come on Apple, get those bugs worked out so you guys don't build up a bad rap - thats a lot of iphones out there.

 

[sjo]

I find this hardly credible. Possible if there is a larger number of models, especially lower spec models at a lower price point. Like an iphone nano. 40 million is similar to the number of ipods, which all sell at a lower price.

Not possible as a single smartphone model. How many blackberries have been sold in total? About 15 million isn't it?

well it's not credible at the current price point. it's credible at significantly lower price point (and i mean both the upfront payment and monthly plan costs).

 

[onicon]

good thing. might increase the chance of getting my iphone 3g soon then.

 

[bobbleheadbob]

The hardware production is separate from the software issues they are experiencing now with 2.0, 2.0.1, and 2.0.2. I hope they sell 100,000,000 phones -- and that version 2.1 comes out and fixes the bugs ASAP!

 

[SPUY767]

If Apple can sell all of those, I may get to retire on my Apple stock.