Apple's iPhone has been on a roll ever since its first iteration was released almost a decade ago. With upcoming data set to be released from the tech giant's main suppliers in Asia, however, the iconic smartphone might very well post its first annual decline ever since it debuted, according to Reuters.
Analysts have forecasted that among Apple's partners in the region, chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Largan Precision Co Ltd., which creates components for the iPhone's cameras, would probably report lackluster sales during the fourth quarter of 2015.
In fact, TSMC has already predicted a drop of about 11 percent for its year-on-year first-quarter revenues. Largan Precision Chief Executive Adam Lin also stated that Apple has begun giving orders only a month in advance, contrary to its usual practice of giving orders three months in advance, reported Tech Times.
"Visibility is only a month at a time and demand is quite weak," Lin said.
Apple's lackluster sales have led many to believe that the company's current flagships, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, have done very little to entice customers to upgrade from the previous year's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which feature specs that are almost on par with the newest models, according to Investment Underground.
Thus, Apple's customers seem to prefer skipping on the upgrade and simply waiting for the release of the upcoming iPhone 7, which is set to be released later this year. After all, the iPhone 7 is expected to be the full upgrade to the iPhone 6, not just a half-step improvement that the 6S offers.
Until then, the Cupertino giant's revenues might remain in dire straits.
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