The 2018 iPhone models will not experience the same production issues and resulting supply shortage as the upcoming iPhone X, according to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The lower-than-expected number of available iPhone X units will haunt Apple once the smartphone launches in November. The news that the same thing will not happen next year, meanwhile, is great for the company.
iPhone X Supply Shortage
The 2018 iPhone models, which will be likely called the iPhone 9 after Apple skipped the "S" naming convention with the iPhone 8, will not experience something like the iPhone X supply shortage.
The iPhone X production issues have long been attributed to the components of the Face ID facial recognition feature, leading to expectations that the supply of the smartphone will be extremely limited until early 2018. A more recent report pegged the number at only 20 million units this year, compared to Apple's planned number of 40 million units.
Apple recently denied allegations that it allowed component suppliers to downgrade Face ID accuracy to speed up production. However, whatever the truth may be, the iPhone X supply will likely not be enough to meet demand for the smartphone upon its launch.
The current estimated waiting time for the iPhone X is about five to six weeks. Some analysts believe that Apple is simply conservative, and customers will receive their smartphones earlier than the suggested waiting time. However, the iPhone X supply shortage is very real, and will dent the smartphone's sales in the first few months after its launch.
No iPhone 9 Supply Problems
Thankfully for Apple and its customers, this will not happen with the iPhone 9. According to Kuo, shipments of the 2018 iPhone models will be on time and will have stable supply upon their launch in the third quarter next year.
The Face ID feature, which is expected to also be present in the 2018 iPhone models, will no longer drag down production. Kuo said that there will be no major upgrade to the TrueDepth camera that helps power Apple's Face ID feature. The current stability in the supply of the component is expected to continue through 2018 with the iPhone 9.
Kuo challenged other reports that Apple will use new technology for the iPhone 9's Face ID feature. He said that Apple will only create more supply chain problems with this move, which is something that the company will like to avoid after the iPhone X supply problems expected upon its launch.
