While the iPhone 12 lineup launched later than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today forecasted that mass production of so-called iPhone 13 models with a new A15 chip will revert back to Apple's usual timeframe.
In a typical year, Apple begins mass production of iPhones in the early summer, but reports indicated that mass production of iPhone 12 models did not begin until September, leading Apple to postpone its usual iPhone event in September until October for the first time since 2011. iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models launched on October 23, followed by the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max on November 13.
Kuo also dismissed concerns that Apple supplier TSMC's capacity utilization rate for A14 chips is set to drop from 100% to 80% in the first quarter of 2021, noting that this is largely due to seasonality factors. The analyst said iPhone demand remains strong, particularly for iPhone 12 Pro models, which have faced some camera-related component shortages contributing to extended shipping estimates on Apple.com.
With mass production of iPhone 13 models expected to follow a more typical schedule next year, it is certainly possible that the devices could be unveiled in September again as usual, but nothing is for certain amid the global health crisis.
