iPhone X Pre-Orders to Hit 50 Million, TrueDepth Camera Remains Production Bottleneck: KGI

The top-of-the-line iPhone X is more than likely to be a massive success for Apple, but whether the Cupertino company can overcome production issues to meet consumer demand still remains an uncertainty before the device’s November launch.

In a note to clients this morning via 9to5Mac, KGI’s well-regarded Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects Apple iPhone X pre-order demand to surpass 40-50 million units.

Kuo also notes that it is the first completely redesigned form factor for the iPhone since the iPhone 6 — an update that generated a so-called “supercycle” for purchases, upgrades and switchers.

Kuo is convinced that the iPhone X’s new Face ID feature is sure to be a big selling point for the device, as no other product exists on the market that offers such an experience. That selling point, however, is also a major bottleneck for iPhone X productions, claims Kuo.

“The 3D sensing (TrueDepth camera) on iPhone X is composed of a structured-light system, time-of-flight system and a front-facing camera, which represents a far more complex structure than those of rivals,” Kuo said. “It will therefore be harder to achieve mass production.”

According to Kuo, Apple plans on ramping up iPhone X production later in October in anticipation of a launch in early November. However, supply will only begin to catch up with consumer demand at some point early next year.

“We believe some component suppliers have pulled in iPhone 8 from 4Q17 to 3Q17 so that more resources can be allocated to iPhone X in 4Q17 to meet robust demand,” the analyst stated.

Pre-orders for the iPhone X begin October 27, and the smartphone releases officially on November 3.

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