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Analyst sez iPhone 3G production could fall 40% in Q4

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2008 @ 8:02PM

No clue if you've been paying attention the past few months, but quite a bit of belt tightening has been going on. Granted, Apple's been making out just fine, but a fresh report from the doors of FBR Research asserts that it may be cutting its Q4 iPhone 3G production in the wake of a global spending slowdown. It should be noted that a 10% cut was already on the table, making this 30% larger than anticipated. According to the report, the firm's reported decision to scale back production "suggests that the global macroeconomic weakness is impacting even high-end consumers, those that are more likely to buy Apple's expensive gadgets." As we restrain ourselves from thanking Captain Obvious, we should also point out that this may not be nearly as big a deal as the numbers make it seem -- maybe it overshot Q3 production in order to guarantee 100% service levels in all markets, for instance. How's that for analysis?

[Via Silicon Alley Insider]

HTC denies report claiming chip shortages will limit output

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 26th 2007 @ 10:52AM

Corporate denials are about as ironclad as the existence of the Nokia N97, but take this for what it's worth: HTC says "no worries" in response to rumors that Qualcomm's chipset deliveries would be coming up short next quarter. Though the firm -- known by most as the world's foremost Windows Mobile powerhouse -- admits that component supplies are tight, it says that it has secured all the stuff it needs to keep its own production humming along at full steam. For its part, Qualcomm says that it has been working closely with HTC "week by week" to keep the flow of supplies steady, and that it'll be ramping up production of its WCDMA silicon in January to better accommodate demand. So much for worries about Broadcom breathing down their neck, apparently!

[Thanks, Tom]