Suppliers deny Apple is delaying 'iPhone 12' production
Printed circuit board manufacturers say that Apple has not told them to postpone production, as previously reported, and therefore the 5G iPhone is not expected to be delayed.
Makers of the printed circuit boards that go into iPhones are saying they're sticking to schedule, so far
Following reports first that Apple will delay the "iPhone 12" by two months, and then reports that it will not, sources in the supply chain expect production to continue as planned.
According to Digitimes, Taiwanese manufacturers of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the iPhone have denied reports of delays. Specifically, they say that Apple has not asked them to postpone production.
The claim had been that they were asked to postpone by two months, in order to fit with a delayed iPhone launch. Unnamed industry sources told Digitimes that they have received no request nor any notification about production being delayed.
Digitimes, though, does also note that multiple manufacturers are facing uncertain demand because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, plus difficulties in recruiting staff for their production lines.
Prior reports said that Apple was considering such a delay in part because of problems completing work on the "iPhone 12" prototype by March. However, analyst Gene Munster has countered this with a reminder to investors that a new iPhone is built over three or four years, not one.
"That implies that by the end of March in a given year, the vast majority of work on an iPhone design and planning with the supply chain is already done," he said.
Digitimes has a significant track record from its sources within the supply industry, although it then has a substantially weaker success rate in interpreting the information it gets. In this case, though, the suppliers are talking specifics about manufacturing lines rather than hinting at particular components or features.
Makers of the printed circuit boards that go into iPhones are saying they're sticking to schedule, so far
Following reports first that Apple will delay the "iPhone 12" by two months, and then reports that it will not, sources in the supply chain expect production to continue as planned.
According to Digitimes, Taiwanese manufacturers of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for the iPhone have denied reports of delays. Specifically, they say that Apple has not asked them to postpone production.
The claim had been that they were asked to postpone by two months, in order to fit with a delayed iPhone launch. Unnamed industry sources told Digitimes that they have received no request nor any notification about production being delayed.
Digitimes, though, does also note that multiple manufacturers are facing uncertain demand because of the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, plus difficulties in recruiting staff for their production lines.
Prior reports said that Apple was considering such a delay in part because of problems completing work on the "iPhone 12" prototype by March. However, analyst Gene Munster has countered this with a reminder to investors that a new iPhone is built over three or four years, not one.
"That implies that by the end of March in a given year, the vast majority of work on an iPhone design and planning with the supply chain is already done," he said.
Digitimes has a significant track record from its sources within the supply industry, although it then has a substantially weaker success rate in interpreting the information it gets. In this case, though, the suppliers are talking specifics about manufacturing lines rather than hinting at particular components or features.
Comments
No, reality is my best friend!
Sorry, no. Unlike the U.S. China not only recognized the problem but dealt with it effectively. Now they are not only back up and churning out iPhones but shipping ventilators, masks, sanitizers, etc to save a failing U.S. healthcare system that, despite months of warnings, did nothing.
Viruses will appear and periodically some of them will be a huge problem.
The only real change with regards to the seriousness of any particular outbreak today is our ability to travel the globe faster and in greater numbers than ever before but this has been common knowledge for decades.
Pretty much everything else is secondary to that so if we take it as a given that new viruses will continue to appear, things like detection, containment, treatment, vaccines etc will have to be improved. Lessons will (hopefully) be learned and protocols will be adjusted. Budgets will be adjusted. New technologies will come online. People will adjust etc.
I can guarantee you that new viruses will continue to emerge and some of them will represent grave threats to humans, other animals, insects, plants etc. That is the nature of the beast.
That is not to say personal and food hygiene should not improve. As I said, many factors are involved but trying to label any virus and pin it on one particular country is absurd.
Send the sponge from your kitchen sink off for testing and when you get the results back you may well decide to disinfect the whole thing!
As supply chains became global, the risk of a pandemic putting a stopper on activity has always been there. Again, the COVID-19 experience will allow us to examine ways to better protect ourselves against disruption going forward.
Apple takes risks, but calculated risks. For example it has put its SoC eggs into the TSMC basket and only that basket. Personally I wouldn't have done that but calculated risks are only that, calculations. There is no clear or perfect answer to many situations. You look at them, weigh your options up and calculate the risk.
You can always recalculate and possibly reach a different answer. The COVID-19 situation is exceptional but lessons will be learned by everyone.
1) We don't have the will or ability to impose widespread restrictions on people and businesses