IN SHORT SUPPLY
iPhone X to be hard to get: analyst
On the eve of the new iPhone’s big unveiling, rumors continue to swirl that it will be dogged by delays.
Apple will only be able to produce 10,000 units a day of its hotly anticipated iPhone X, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note that was obtained by MacRumors on Monday.
As a result, the new phone — slated to be unveiled on Tuesday at Apple’s new headquarters, with forecasts of a $1,000-plus price tag — will be “in severe short supply,” the analyst predicts.
The research note added that the gold version of the iPhone X will face even more production difficulties than the standard black and white models, with Kuo suggesting the production issues are so severe that it might not go on sale until a later date.
Apple is expected to announce three new iPhones on Tuesday: the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 is expected to be similar to the 7 but with upgraded internal tech, while the iPhone X will feature a nearly edge-to-edge OLED screen — a first for the iPhone — as well as facial recognition and a host of new features.
Reports of production issues almost always accompany an impending iPhone release, and Apple usually surpasses expectations. But this year has seen more supply warnings than usual.
Kuo forecast manufacturing issues back in June, anticipating that shoppers would be especially affected by the shortages during the hol- iday shopping season.
In July, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts slashed their forecast for full-year shipments of iPhones by 11 million due to concerns surrounding manufacturing hiccups related to the iPhone X’s fingerprint-recognition features and 3D facial recognition technologies.
While all the rumors bouncing around the tech world won’t become reality until Apple tells us so, the good news is that the rampant leaks will end in less than 24 hours.
Apple’s unveiling will start Tuesday at 1 p.m. EDT at the newly constructed Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s HQ.
Apple shares on Monday gained 1.8 percent, to $161.50.