Apple Inc’s 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus is facing a supply shortage amid pre-orders due to production issues with backlight modules produced by Japanese supplier Minebea Co, according to foreign media reports citing KGI Securities Co (凱基證券) analyst Kuo Ming-chi (郭明錤).
Kuo, who has proved accurate in predicting Apple’s moves, said his survey of pre-order Web sites in first-wave launch countries for the new iPhone revealed that most shipping estimates for the iPhone 6S Plus are three to four weeks after its official launch date of Sept. 25.
“This points to a more severe shortage of 6S Plus versus 6S, but we don’t think this is an indication of stronger 6S Plus demand, as we think one of the main factors in tighter supply is supply chain problems,” Kuo wrote in a note to investors on Monday.
He estimated that Apple will prepare 1.5 million to 2.5 million units of the iPhone 6S Plus for the Sept. 25 rollout sale.
One of the 6S Plus production bottlenecks is the backlight module, which is supplied by Minebea and Taiwan’s Radiant Opto-Electronics Corp (瑞儀光電), Kuo said.
“We believe Radiant is receiving rush orders, because Minebea is having production issues. This tells us that Radiant is more skilled at producing backlight modules for the 6S Plus, given its accumulated experience supplying the backlight module for the iPad Mini [which is similar in size to the 6S Plus],” Kuo said.
Kuo estimated that Radiant’s iPhone 6S Plus backlight module orders will increase by 70 percent to 80 percent to between 4 million and 5 million units this month, boosting its order allocation from 35 percent to 45 percent to between 70 percent and 80 percent.
Unveiled on Wednesday last week in the US, the new iPhone is the same size as its predecessor, but comes with a better camera, faster processors, a new rose-gold color option and force-sensitive “3D Touch” screen technology.
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