Taiwan PCB manufacturers: Orders from Apple remain stable

According to industry insiders, Apple has cut its iPhone component orders by as much as 25%, but PCB manufacturers in Taiwan in the iPhone 13 supply chain stressed that their order momentum from Apple remains quite stable.

According to a report by digitimes on October 4, PCB supply chain sources said that due to the good pre-order performance of iPhone 13 models and the strong replacement demand of existing iPhone users, Apple is unlikely to cut orders significantly afterwards, even if sales momentum may weaken. In addition, Apple may slightly delay component shipments due to the continued power restrictions and small IC shortages in mainland China that may affect the iPhone assembly business.

Sources said that shipments of the iPhone 13 series and other new Apple devices are not completely unaffected by the power outage and parts shortage in mainland China, but the actual impact remains to be assessed and should be controllable in the short term. The source continued that Apple's consumers generally show strong brand adherence and will not easily switch to other brands if suppliers delay shipments.

The source also pointed out that the flagship mobile phone market is currently dominated by Apple and Samsung Electronics. Even if the iPhone 13 series lacks major hardware upgrades, Apple's friendly pricing policy for the new iPhone will enable the supplier to expand its customer base and enjoy a good sales record. It remains to be seen whether Apple will adjust its orders with iPhone component suppliers later in the fourth quarter of this year, the source said.