Apple has reduced its order with
suppliers of LCD panels for the iPhone 5 in the current
quarter due to weak demand, the Nikkei reported on Monday.
According to the paper, Apple has asked suppliers Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to cut supply, down from an initial plan to order about 65 million units
in the quarter, the Japanese daily said.
Japan Display's plant in Nomi, Ishikawa Prefecture is expected to temporarily reduce output by 70 percent to 80 percent compared to the October to December period, the Nikkei reported.
Sharp's dedicated facility for iPhone 5 LCD panels in Mie
Prefecture will lower production in January and February
by about 40 percent from the October to December quarter,
when it was near full capacity, the financial daily said.
Apple has not commented on the report yet.
In the meantime, Apple' s rival Samsung electronics enjoys high sales of its
Samsung Galaxy S Series smartphones.
Samsung says its flagship Galaxy S series surpassed the
accumulated sales record of 100 million units from the
supply side in 2 years and 7 months after its launch in
May 2010.
The S. Korean company claims Galaxy S III is selling at much
faster rate of 30 million in 5 months and 40 million in 7
months, after becoming a million seller in only 50 days
after its release last May. Currently, its average daily
sales are 190,000 units.
The driving force behind Samsung's rise to the top of the
global smartphone market is Galaxy S II, which is gaining
ground as a steady seller hitting the sales of over 40
million in only 20 months.