Apple has upward adjusted the total order volume for iPhones, consisting of iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4 CDMA and iPhone 5, for the second half of 2011 by 12-13%, from 50 million units originally estimated at the end of the second quarter of 2011 to more than 56 million units. iPhone 5 will account for 25.5-26 million units, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.
iPhone 5 orders for the third quarter of 2011 have been lowered from seven million units to 5.5-6 million units, while fourth-quarter orders have been raised from 14 million units to more than 20 million units, the sources pointed out. Total orders for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4 CDMA for the third quarter exceed 20 million units, and fourth-quarter orders have been reduced to eight million units, the sources indicated.
Total shipments iPhones in 2011 will reach 95 million units, the sources noted.
While Taiwan-based supply chain makers will benefit from increased component orders, they are expected to see pressure for price cuts from Apple, especially touch panel makers which account for the largest proportion of total production costs, the sources said.
Apple closed at $383.41 or 5 percent off its July 27 all-time closing high of $403.41. after the bell, Steve Cohen of SAC Capital Advisors announced that he had more than doubled his stock holdings in Apple Inc. during Q2 to 598,000 shares. David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital also reported increasing his stake in Apple to 1.1 million shares as of June 30, up from 837,500 shares at the end of the prior period.
Read more posts on Global Macro Monitor »