Apple is asking its manufacturers to make 70-80 million iPhones ahead of approaching launch of new 4.7- and 5.5-inch models of its smartphone, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The initial order reports mark a huge increase of the 50-60 million units Apple ordered ahead of last year’s launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C.
The iPhone orders coming out now could change dependent on demand for the new models after launch. Apple in October last year reportedly cut its orders for the iPhone 5C and raised the orders for the 5S after demand for the higher-priced, Touch ID-sporting iPhone eclipsed that for the only slightly less-expensive plastic model.
Reports have surfaced that Apple’s sturdier sapphire display could be limited to the 5.5-inch model, a factor that could push more consumers toward the larger model.
Apple’s two primary manufacturers, Pegatron and Hon Hai (Foxconn), will reportedly put the 4.7-inch model into production next month while waiting until September to start making the 5.5-inch model. The 5.5-inch model is being pegged for a later launch than the typical mid-September new iPhone unveiling.
As Apple is firing up the new iPhone making machine, the company today is planning to release its fiscal third-quarter numbers. Analysts are forecasting 35.9 million iPhones sold during the spring quarter, which would be a 15-percent annual improvement, according to the Wall Street Journal.
This will be the final quarter for Apple where boosts in iPhone sales can at least partially be attributed to selling two models instead of one.
Filed Under: Devices
