According to a report by Taiwan's DigiTimes, the supply chain for Apple's 2023 iPhone 15 has less parts stock compared to the same period in 2022, with initial stock estimates at approximately 83-85 million units, a year-on-year decrease of over 8%. The estimated iPhone parts stock for the same period in 2022 was over 90 million units, with some estimates even reaching close to 100 million units.
Indeed, looking at the specifics of individual components, the atmosphere around stocking for the 2023 iPhone appears rather pessimistic.
In the VCM (Voice Coil Motor) sector, where large orders for Apple's VCM have typically been secured by Japanese companies such as ALPS and Mitsumi, the signals released by Japanese manufacturers for 2023 seem less strong than those of 2022.
In terms of display, reports last week suggested that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max faced difficulties in manufacturing, possibly limiting the number of devices available upon their September release. The Information revealed that Apple's suppliers adopted a new manufacturing process for these two models, causing issues for LG Display, who is manufacturing the screens.
Moreover, optical giant Largan Precision recently sent out a warning bell - it seems that mobile phone customers are generally pessimistic, with none appearing optimistic, including those preparing to launch new devices.
Previously, the market believed that the mobile phone market was showing signs of recovery, but Enping Lin, the chairman of Largan Precision, suggested this was merely a slight uptick in mid-to-low-end mobile phone sales. As for the high-end market, customer sentiment remained relatively conservative, with the main issue being that they're "not selling well".
Lin further stated that the momentum of customer orders in April and May was worse than in March. The main reason being, even though customers show strong interest in high-end periscopic mobile phone lenses and 8P lenses, their view on sales remains conservative. Even if they included these lenses in their designs, relative purchase volumes are not high.
On the topic of periscopic lenses, Lin pointed out that all customers are actively seeking to incorporate these, both in high and low-end products. Although module manufacturers have overcome yield issues, the yield of sensors is poor, causing "a slight delay in the shipment of new phones in the second half of the year". Notably, one of the highlights of the iPhone 15 series is expected to include a periscopic lens design, leading the market to speculate that Lin's statement relates to the iPhone 15.
On a broader scale, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan indicated in his report that the iPhone 15 devices may be delayed "by a few weeks", with some models possibly launching in October. However, The Information believes that Apple will still launch the iPhone 15 Pro series in September as planned.
