According to a DIGITIMES research report, the supply chain industry believes that Apple’s rhythm in 2022 is “too good” compared to the Android cell phone camp’s discomfort, but predicts that the supply chain will be prepared for a squeeze on costs in 2023 due to the continued high cost of advanced semiconductor processes.
In 2022, the smartphone market was highly uncertain and the Android camp was hit by headwinds, including Samsung Electronics, Xiaomi, OPPO and other major manufacturers almost failed to reach the expected sales target, except for Apple’s iPhone 14 series, which stood firm against the trend and met the existing steady progress in sales volume and component shipments.
However, Foxconn’s main iPhone plant disruptions at the end of the year have affected iPhone 14 series production, and IC channel operators say they have heard that the assembly section has been affected, and expect some iPhone 14 series demand to be deferred until Q1 2023.
The IC channel operator, which represents Apple’s bulk RF communication chips, said that the iPhone 14 series in 2022 will have a slight decrease compared to 2021 in terms of component demand, but overall, the order visibility and rhythm are better than the highly unknown Android camp.
Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory production iPhone sector is already recovering, with current capacity at about 70 percent, according to analysts and supply chain sources familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, Foxconn is still working on restoring the rest of its production capacity.
