iPhone X will suffer supply constraints until next year: KGI analyst

Apple will begin taking pre-orders for the iPhone X from October 27, and will start shipping the unit worldwide, including India from Nov. 3, as it confirmed at the launch event. While many of its fans are waiting eagerly for the redesigned iPhone X to hit the shelves in the country, analyst predicts that supply constraints should be expected.

According to a statement given by KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, customers demand for the iPhone X won’t be fully met until at least the first half of 2018 due to supply constraints. “We believe the fullscreen design and facial recognition features will drive replacement demand for the iPhone X. However, due to supply constraints, we expect market demand won't be fully met before 1H18. We revise down our forecast for 2017F iPhone X shipments from 45-50 million to around 40 million units, but we therefore revise up our 2018 iPhone X shipment estimate to 80-90 million units,” Kuo told Macrumours.

He anticipated that the iPhone X shipment will be around 40 million units for the first half of next year.

Apple has chosen more than a month-late pre-order opening for the iPhone X, in comparison to iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models. The iPhone 8 line up are already available for pre-orders, and are scheduled to go on sale on Sept. 22.

Kuo believes, Apple has deliberately decided dates in such a manned as it “doesn't want to cannibalize sales of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus”.