Digitimes, which is notorious for its mixed track record, is out with a new report claiming that initial shipments of Apple’s next-generation iPhone will be in tight supply. The reason being low yield rates for the production of the sensor for the device’s rumored fingerprint scanning technology. That’s in addition to some chips required to power the new iPhone’s LCD.
Furthermore, the site says that production of said device’s sensors should have begun late last month or earlier this month, but production won’t actually begin until later this month. This in turn will affect initial shipments of the new iPhone come September. Digitimes says this will result in 3 million delayed units…
Of course, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted on multiple occasions, Apple’s plans are difficult to pinpoint based on supply-chain chatter. This is because, as Cook framed, Apple uses several suppliers and manufacturing partners, so perhaps an issue with one supplier will amount to zero public-facing issues. Apple is known to be diverse in its part suppliers so issues (like the rumored) do not occur.
The new iPhone will likely be encased in the same design as the iPhone 5, feature an improved camera sensor, a dual-LED flash, and perhaps a new slow-motion camera feature. This is in addition to the rumored finger-print sensor. Chatter for this feature hit new highs when Apple acquired Authentec last year.
