According to a new report by Taiwanese research firm TrendForce, Apple has added Luxshare to its list of 2023’s flagship ‘iPhone 15 Pro Max’ assemblers, alongside Foxconn (via MacRumors).
The source, however, did not say what percentage of iPhone 15 Pro Max orders will be fulfilled by Luxshare, although the move will certainly reduce Apple’s risks of relying on Foxconn as an exclusive manufacturer.
It is also believed that there may be increased differentiation between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max devices. Furthermore, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has noted that the Pro Max could potentially be renamed the ‘iPhone 15 Ultra,’ much like the Apple Watch Ultra.
Amid the recent COVID-19 outbreaks in China, Foxconn has been experiencing significant strain at its factory in Zhengzhou, China, which has led to reduced production capacity for iPhone 14 Pro models.
According to TrendForce, China’s supply chain has also started to experience a labor shortage this month as the Chinese government eased COVID-19 restrictions, leading to the increased spread of the virus.
Due to production issues and economic headwinds, TrendForce has lowered its iPhone shipments forecast for the first quarter of 2023 to 47 million units.
The research firm believes the iPhone shipments could see a year-over-year decline of 22% in Q1 2023.
