Apple plans to produce up to 96 million iPhones for the first half of 2021, a nearly 30% year-on-year increase, after demand for its first-ever 5G handsets surged amid the pandemic, according to Nikkei Asia.
The tech giant has purportedly asked suppliers to build 95 million to 96 million smartphones, including the latest iPhone 12 range (the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max) and the older iPhone 11 and iPhone SE. However, Nikkei Asia notes that industrywide shortages of key components could derail those plains.
The article adds that the tentative full-year forecast that Apple shared with its suppliers suggests it plans to build up to 230 million iPhones in 2021, including both old and new models. If it happens, this would mark a 20% increase from 2019.
