Apple to keep iPhone production flat as market grows tougher

iPhone 13 models are pictured at an Apple Store in Beijing, China. Apple already warned that supply problems will impact sales by US$4bil (RM17.59bil) to US$8bil (RM35.18bil) in the current quarter, largely because Covid-19 lockdowns are roiling production lines in China. — Reuters

Apple Inc is planning to keep iPhone production roughly flat in 2022, a conservative stance as the year turns increasingly challenging for the smartphone industry.

The company is asking suppliers to assemble roughly 220 million iPhones, about the same as last year, according to people familiar with its projections, who asked not to be named as they’re not public. Market forecasts have hovered closer to 240 million units, driven by an expected major update to the iPhone in the fall. But the mobile industry has gotten off to a difficult start to the year and production estimates are down across the board.