Report: iPhone 5 shortage could stem from display production hiccups

Screen production at Sharp could be causing supply shortages

Apple reportedly moved five million iPhone 5 units in the device's first weekend on sale, but that seemingly impressive number actually falls below some analysts' low-end predictions, according to a recent report.

That may be due in part to an iPhone 5 shortage at some U.S. retailers like Best Buy, RadioShack, and Target, with some locations of which received less than a dozen iPhone 5's to sell on the handset's street date last Friday.

Now a possible explanation for that shortage has come to light, and it seems Sharp's display production line could be to blame.

New display, new problems

Apple turned to manufacturers LG and Sharp for the task of supplying iPhone 5 screens, but it seems delays at Sharp resulted in the apparent iPhone 5 stock shortage.

Sharp reportedly didn't begin producing iPhone 5 displays until the smartphone's debut earlier this month, which could certainly explain why it's in short supply at some retailer stores.

The iPhone 5's display is a half inch longer diagonally than that on previous iPhones, and reportedly costs $7 (UK£3, AU$6) extra to produce because of its larger size and in-cell touch screen technology.

That tech integrates the display and touch panel into one layer, making for superior colors but apparently also producing new production headaches.

iPhone 5 issues continue to stack up

This report comes primarily from an IHS iSuppli analyst cited by Bloomberg, but TechRadar has also reached out to Apple for comment.

The iPhone 5 is a huge launch not just for Apple but the entire consumer mobile market, which makes it a major target for critics.

However, it seems like Apple's latest money maker suffers from an unusual number of defects, even by Apple's standards (let's not forget the iPhone 4 reception debacle).

Reports of light leaks around the edge of the iPhone 5 began flooding in on Monday, and early adopters have complained of the smartphone's particularly scratch-prone chassis.

Apple may be gearing up to deal with these complaints while simultaneously battling against the iOS 6 "maptastrophe" and day-one iPhone 5 jailbreakers. Yep, that's right - it took less than a day for hackers to have their way with the iPhone 5.

Despite these issues, the iPhone 5 sales in the first weekend totaled a full million more than iPhone 4S sales in its first weekend last year.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/report-iphone-5-shortage-could-stem-from-display-production-hiccups-1099695

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Apple sold a disappointing 5 million iPhone 5 units in three days

Apple sold a record-breaking 5 million iPhone 5 units in three days — a million or so short of Wall Street's expectations.

Apple sold a record-breaking 5 million iPhone 5 units over the past three days, the company announced today. The number tops its previous record of 4 million units sold during opening weekend, which was set last year by the iPhone 4S.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

Despite the self-congratulations, sales of the iPhone 5 have fell well short of lofty Wall Street estimates. Apple analyst extraordinaire Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray predicted that Apple would sell 6 million to 10 million iPhone 5 units in its opening weekend. He added that 6 million would count as a “worst-case scenario.”

Apple’s stock price had fallen more nine points, at the time of this writing, to $691.

The iPhone 5 broke the record for first-day sales, clocking in 2 million sales in 24 hours after the device became available for pre-order on September 14. The iPhone 4S set the previous record last year, with more than 1 million units sold in a single day.

The iPhone 5 is currently available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and the U.K. Apple also announced today that the handset would become available in 22 countries on Friday, September 28, and 100 countries total by the end of the year.

New features added to the iPhone 5 include a 4-inch display, 4G LTE connectivity, an improved FaceTime camera for video chat, and a thinner and lighter design.

Check out our in-depth review of the iPhone 5 here.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-sold-5-million-iphone-5-units-in-first-weekend/

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Apple boasts 2 million iPhone 5 units sold in 24 hours

Apple claims a new record, with more than 2 million iPhone 5 units pre-ordered in the first 24 hours.

Apple sold more than 2 million iPhone 5 units in the first 24 hours of pre-order availability, the company boasted in a press release this morning. That’s more than twice the 1 million iPhone 4S units the company sold last year — more than twice! See, the iPhone 5 isn’t as boring as you thought, according to Apple.

Last year, Apple sold app approximately 1 million iPhone 4S units in the first 24 hours, and more than 4 million units during the first weekend. We wouldn’t be surprised to see another press release from Apple touting record weekend sales of the iPhone 5 as well.

The iPhone 5 went on sale at about 12:01a.m. in U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore on Friday, September 14. The iPhone 4S, on the other hand, was not initially available in Hong Kong and Singapore, which presumably helped boost early iPhone 5 sales figures.

AT&T, the first U.S. wireless service provider to offer the iPhone, also released a statement this morning saying that the iPhone 5 is “the fastest-selling iPhone the company has ever offered.” The iPhone 5 is also available through Verizon Wireless and Sprint in the U.S., as well as a number of smaller carriers.

Due to the supposedly unprecedented demand for the latest iPhone, Apple says that “initial supply” of the smartphone has already been depleted. While “the majority” of pre-ordered iPhone 5 units will arrived on customer doorsteps by the previously promised September 21 launch date, says Apple, some people who pre-ordered the iPhone 5 won’t receive their devices until sometime in October.

All 356 Apple retail stores in the U.S. will begin selling the iPhone 5 at 8a.m. on September 21 — but you’ll likely have to stand in line to get one. Fortune reports that Apple fans in New York City have already begun camping out for the big launch. A better bet is to hit up an AT&T, Verizion, or Sprint retail shop, which will begin selling the iPhone 5 in-store at the same time as Apple.

The iPhone 5 features a new, 4-inch Retina display made with in-cell technology, 4G LTE connectivity, an A6 system-on-chip, dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, and the new iOS 6 mobile operating system. People with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S can all update to iOS 6 on Wednesday, September 19.

To learn all the details of the iPhone 5, click here. And check out our complete breakdown of iOS 6 here.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-boasts-2-million-iphone-5-units-sold-in-24-hours/

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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 expected to shift over 20 million units

Big phone = big seller

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is expected to sell over 20 million units, double what it's predecessor, the Galaxy Note, sold.

Samsung's head of mobile JK Shin revealed the firm's ambitious sales target to reporters, expecting the Galaxy Note 2 to blow the original Note's 10 million sales out of the water.

It's a bold statement from Samsung, especially as a lot of people remain unconvinced on the whole phone-tablet crossover, with questions raised over the usability of Note 2's huge 5.5-inch display.

Go big or go home

The Galaxy Note 2 certainly has an impressive spec sheet, sporting a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, that massive Super AMOLED HD display, 8MP rear-facing camera with flash, NFC, Samsung's special S-Pen stylus - plus it'll run the latest flavour of Android, Jelly Bean.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 release date is yet to be confirmed, but Unlocked Mobiles reckons we'll see the handset on October 15, although we're not holding out too much hope that it's got it right.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-2-expected-to-shift-over-20-million-units-1097355

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Samsung sells 20 million Galaxy S3 handsets in first 100 days

Samsung's Galaxy S3 is still flying off the shelves, with 20 million units sold in its first 100 days.

The Galaxy S3 continues to sell at great speed, with Samsung announcing Thursday that 20 million devices have now been sold since it made its debut 100 days ago. The phone is the Korean tech company’s fastest-selling handset to date.

Samsung was confident from the start that the high-end S3 would do magical things for the electronics giant, with its head of mobile communications, JK Shin, claiming on launch day back in May that it would sell 10 million units before the end of July. It managed the feat with more than a week to spare.

This week it was reported that in August the S3 outsold Apple’s iPhone 4S for the first time since the 4S hit the market in October 2011 – though of course, this could be down to some Apple fans holding off buying a new iPhone until later this month, when the so-called iPhone 5 is widely expected to make its debut.

Sales of the S3 may be impressive, but if the expected iPhone 5 sells like the 4S did earlier this year – 35.1 million units in the first quarter – then it’ll soon slip back behind Apple as the smartphone of choice for the majority of users. Some analysts predict sales of the new iPhone could top 10 million within a week of going on sale.

Also, there’s a chance that sales of the S3 could drop to zero overnight – at least in the US – if Apple succeeds in its attempt to have the device banned from sale over the matter of patent infringement.

For the time being though, the Korean company will be more than happy with the way its Android-powered S3 is moving off the shelves. Consumers have been attracted by its sleek design, large 4.8-inch screen and array of features, including face-, gesture- and voice recognition functionality. A powerful 8-megapixel camera which, among other things, allows you to take photos while recording video, has also helped it to stand out from the crowd. Now, how long before it notches up its 30 millionth sale?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/samsung-sells-20-million-galaxy-s3-handsets-in-first-100-days/

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