The recently announced iPhone SE is now available for purchase, but the demand is much lower than supply chain players expected, according to sources cited by sometimes reliable Digitimes. Some thought the lower-cost iPhone SE would be able to offset the decline in iPhone shipments, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, at least that’s what the supply chain participants suggest.
Shipments for the new iPhone SE will be unable to offset the fall in shipments for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices in the second quarter, the sources continued. The shipment target for the SE in the second quarter is four to five million units, the sources said.
When compared to the same quarter in previous years, Apple’s chip demand, for example, is relatively slow, say industry sources. However, when compared to the first quarter of this year, chip orders are slightly higher, despite Apple launching two new devices: the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and the 4-inch iPhone SE.
You may recall that recent reports have talked about disappointing iPhone sales, and even Apple has been careful enough with its first-calendar-quarter forecast (fiscal Q2 2016 – earnings call scheduled for April 25).
Industry sources say chip shipments for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus for the second quarter of 2016 will likely be only half of those shipped in the first quarter. Apple’s chip demand is expected to return to “normal levels” after the third quarter, when the next-generation iDevices will be available, supply chain sources say.
