Apple to produce 30% more iPhones in 1st half of 2021

Apple will produce up to 96 million units of iPhones in the first half of 2021, which is 30% more than the same time period this year, according to Japanese news outlet Nikkei.

Apple has notified its suppliers of this plan, the news said. The company is planning to increase production of not only iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max but iPhone 11 and iPhone SE as well, Nikkei said.

Japanese component suppliers to Apple is expected improve their earnings from this expanded production plan. Murata and Sony, which supplies core components to Cupertino, is expected to see sales boost from the plan.

Kioxia, previously Toshiba Memory, saw sales decline from US sanctions against its customer Huawei, which caused delays in its IPO plan which was initially scheduled for October. Apple’s orders account for 20% of Kioxia’s sales, Nikkei noted, and the increased supply for iPhones will help it offset its losses from losing Huawei orders, it said. 

Apple’s share listed on NASAQ saw a 5.01% increase at its closing from the day before following Nikkei’s report.

Cupertino is expected to produce 230 million iPhones in total next year, the Japanese news outlet said. This is 20% higher than 2019 and level to that of its previous record number of units produced in 2015.