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iPhone suppliers are said to be preparing for low orders from Apple in the first quarter of 2018 because of a combination of seasonal factors and anxiety over reports of slower-than-expected sales of Apple's latest smartphone line-up.

According to DigiTimes' sources in the supply chain, several component suppliers are bracing themselves for low order visibility for the full range of iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models.

iphone-x-vs-8-compare-800x540.jpg
Component orders for iPhone devices will come 15-30% less than expected for the first quarter due mostly to seasonal factors, but some sources argued that the slower-than-expected sales of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have dragged down the momentum for the iPhone X.
The report highlights signs of declining order visibility for Apple's flagship phones that appeared as early as the fourth quarter of 2017, which is said to have led some suppliers to plan for temporary halts in production during the month of February.

Another influencing factor on the decision is the weeklong Lunar New Year holidays, which significantly reduce capacity utilization rates, according to the same sources.

Several upstream suppliers are reportedly cognizant of the need to control their inventory levels to offset the possible impact of low orders, including those for memory chips, camera modules, 3D sensing modules, PCBs and IC backend service firms.

Reports remain conflicted about actual iPhone X sales since the smartphone was launched in September. Recent OS data from Kantar Worldpanel indicated "stellar" performance of the iPhone X in multiple markets around the world during November, amid an overall "mixed performance" for iOS devices from September to November 2017.

However, in December 2017, sources in the semiconductor packaging and testing service industry claimed that pre-orders for the iPhone X were not as strong as expected in some markets. Numerous reports in recent weeks have weighed in on the topic of sales, with many analysts predicting weakened demand in Q1 2018 now that early adopters have received their iPhone X.

Article Link: Apple Suppliers Anxious Over Lower-Than-Expected iPhone 8 Orders Going into 2018
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,494
No one wants a four-year-old giant bezel design? Shocking

Says who? Digitimes?. The iPhone 8 given its current design and form factor, doesn't make it any less of a popular device because it's four years old. It's still retains touch ID, has almost the same exact internals as the iPhone X, wireless charging, etc. And it's still $200.00 cheaper than the X. This is not an exactly the most popular time of the year for an iPhone to have its highest peak in sales either.
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,725
32,184
But wait, I thought it was the X with lower orders. Supply chain rumor mongers need to make up their mind which narrative they want to peddle. And hilarious that MR posters will believe any story these days, even from the questionable DigiTimes.
 

639051

Cancelled
Nov 8, 2011
967
1,267
I wasn't a fan of Face ID and narrow design of the 10 after awhile. I had switched to a Pixel 2 XL but became fed up with constantly having to troubleshoot basic problems on it. I had given my 7+ to a friend so I went with the 8+. It's still a great phone bezels and all. The 10 just didn't do it for me crazy enough.
 

BMcCoy

macrumors 68000
Jun 24, 2010
1,718
3,421
One factor in reports of 'poorer than expected sales' could be the huge range in Apple's current iPhone line-up, diluting sales for any individual model.
New iPhone purchasers have a wide selection to choose from, and with so many price-points, the newest or 'flag-ship' models may not be as attractive as they once were.

Apple currently sell 8 iPhones, all with between 2 and 5 colour options, and 2 capacities.
X - has 2 colour, 2 capacities
8 - 3 and 2
8+ - 3 and 2
7 - 5 and 2
7+ - 5 and 2
6s - 4 and 2
6s+ - 4 and 2
SE - 4 and 2

That's 8 different iPhones, in a mammoth 60 varieties (or SKUs). Extraordinary (for Apple) ... !!
 
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PBG4 Dude

macrumors 601
Jul 6, 2007
4,361
4,644
Says who? Digitimes?. The iPhone 8 given its current design and form factor, doesn't make it any less of a popular device because it's four years old. It's still retains touch ID, has almost the same exact internals as the iPhone X, wireless charging, etc. And it's still $200.00 cheaper than the X. This is not an exactly the most popular time of the year for an iPhone to have its highest peak in sales either.
The iPhone 8 is $350 cheaper than the X ($649 vs 999).
 
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DEMinSoCAL

macrumors 603
Sep 27, 2005
5,061
7,277
Stories like this keep my brain spinning...are iPhone X sales "off the charts" and "best ever" or are they slumping?

While sales of the X were good during the holidays, the lack of any real "deals" on the X or the 8 are keeping on-the-fence buyers from opening their wallets. The iPhone 7 release had much better deals from the carriers that made getting a 7 painless on the wallet. Most of the BOGO deals from the carriers have terms that are crap.
 

deferredAnon

macrumors 6502
Dec 25, 2017
259
268
US
Stories like this keep my brain spinning...are iPhone X sales "off the charts" and "best ever" or are they slumping?

While sales of the X were good during the holidays, the lack of any real "deals" on the X or the 8 are keeping on-the-fence buyers from opening their wallets. The iPhone 7 release had much better deals from the carriers that made getting a 7 painless on the wallet. Most of the BOGO deals from the carriers have terms that are crap.
No 'deals' because carriers already have commited customers, either through contract or through customer's addiction to competitive internet pricing. Carriers only care about their services.

Regarding iPhone sales, we will know for certain how it fared in two weeks.
 

newyorksole

macrumors 603
Apr 2, 2008
5,194
6,507
New York.
The thing is that Apple is still selling a lot of these phones. Just because suppliers are cutting back on orders doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.

Profit is still rolling on in.
 
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