Apple has reportedly scrapped plans to increase iPhone production in H2 compared with the quantity made in the same period of 2021, with demand for standard versions of its latest flagship rumoured to be weaker than anticipated.
Bloomberg reports that suppliers had been told to cut targeted production of units of its iPhone 14 series by up to 6 million for H2, with the anticipated number of 90 million smartphones expected to roll off the assembly line roughly flat on the same period of 2021.
Citing comments from an anonymous supplier, Bloomberg noted demand was stronger for the higher-end iPhone 14 models than standard, with production being shifted to the Pro edition.
The claims follow worsening analyst forecasts for global smartphone shipments, though in an update earlier this month, IDC tipped Apple to buck the trend with a small annual rise.
Dour expectations for smartphone demand have been attributed to a number of factors including high inflation, decreasing consumer confidence and economic slowdowns in major markets.
Earlier this year vendors were also hit with continued Covid-19 (coronavirus) production problems.
In a move partly speculated to be an attempt to mitigate the risk of any further lockdowns in China, Apple switched some of its supply chain to India, with Financial Times reporting iPhone 14 production in the nation commenced this week.
