The Apple iPhone 5S may be an elusive device when it launches on September 20th. Mirroring rumours that have been floating for some time, Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek warned that Apple and its manufacturing partners were still struggling to ramp up production given ongoing challenges with the fingerprint sensor. “Our checks indicate 5s supply constraints due to poor yields on the fingerprint sensor,” he wrote in his note to investors on Friday. He adds that sensor yields “have been terrible.”
Misek estimates that the current quarter (ending at the end of the month) could see iPhone 5S production only hit between 5 and 10 million units. Production in the December quarter could be as low as 15 million although Misek still expects it to come in higher, perhaps as high as 25 million.
Production of the Apple iPhone 5C is not affected the same way as the cheaper model does not come with the fingerprint sensor. Misek estimates that Apple will manufacture 20 million iPhone 5C’s this quarter and increase that to 30 million next quarter.
This could certainly explain why Apple decided not to take iPhone 5S pre-orders when iPhone 5C pre-orders started on Friday.
Those who decided to line up two weeks ago for their iPhone 5S may have had the right idea after all…
Source : Forbes