Apple is understood to have slowed down production of its iPhone 4 and manufacturers in Taiwan are getting ready for production to occur in August with a September launch now likely.
Taiwanese industrial newspaper DigiTimes says it is unlikely that Apple will launch an LTE-enabled 4G iPhone until 2012 at the earliest.
It quotes sources who say Apple will delay the LTE versions until 2012. Mobile manufacturers are sceptical about LTE phones launching in 2011 because they don’t believe LTE network rollouts are widespread or mature enough.
China Mobile is expected to reach an agreement with Apple to begin selling the iPhone 4S by the beginning of September on its TD-SCDMA networks.
New iPhone to have 8-megapixel camera
With the iPhone 4S likely to launch in September, Apple has reduced the shipment volumes expected for the second quarter of 2011 from 20m units to less than 18m units.
These consist 16 million units of the 3G version and 1.5-2 million units of the CDMA version, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.
Bases on global sales of 18.6 million units of iPhone 4 and shipment volumes in the first quarter of 2011, there are an estimated 1.5-2 million units in stock, the sources indicated.
Production of iPhone 4S will begin in August and the earliest launch may be in September.
All the 3G and CDMA chips for iPhone 4S will be supplied by Qualcomm and the rear camera will be upgraded to a 8-megapixel resolution model with OmniVision Technologies and Taiwan-based Largan Precision to supply image sensors and lens kits respectively, DigiTimes’ sources indicated.
In addition, Apple was originally expected to ship 7-8 million iPad 2s in the second quarter based on sales performance in the preceding quarter, but will ship 10-10.5 million units in line with its goal of selling 35-40 million units in 2011, the DigiTimes report said.
