Apple is seemingly confident that the iPhone 7, set to make its first appearance this week, will be a big hit.
The evidence? According to a new report, it’s just upped orders for the handset by an impressive 10 percent.
The report cites sources in Apple’s supply chain, and refers to parts and components needed for production of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. It is claimed that the, “hike in order volumes indicates that Apple still remains positive about replacement demand for new iPhones from existing iPhone users.”
Interestingly, the report notes that Apple’s previous orders for the second half of 2016 represented only 60 percent of the iPhone shipments for that same period the year before. What’s not clear, therefore, is whether Apple is now banking on iPhone shipments being 10 percent more than they were this time last year, or just 10 percent more than the decreased orders Apple had previously placed.
Shipments of the iPhone 6s hit around 30 million units per month in the second half of 2015. While the full number iPhone launches normally create more buzz than the “s” version releases, this year’s iPhone 7 has been hampered by rumors that Apple is holding off some of its biggest upgrades for next year’s tenth birthday edition iPhone.
Then again, with Samsung’s rival Note 7 smartphone having just been recalled due to a major fault, and a recent history for over-delivering, Apple may be justified in feeling confident about its next-gen iPhone. We’ll find out this week, I guess!
Source: Digitimes
