Apple could deliver its first new devices of 2018 next month. A new report claims the company is gearing up to launch a new iPhone, iPad and MacBook in March. We’ll have to wait longer for an Apple Watch Series 4, however.
Despite strong demand for iPhone X when it launched last November, the device certainly did not spark the upgrade “super-cycle” many analysts predicted. In fact, iPhone sales for the first quarter of 2018 fell year-over-year.
Apple suppliers suffer
As a result, Apple cut orders for the second quarter of the year. They almost certainly weren’t slashed in half, as some reports claimed, but they probably aren’t what Cupertino was hoping for. Now Apple suppliers are feeling the strain.
For some, however, Apple’s other manufacturing needs will make up lost revenue. Career Technology, E&R Engineering, ShunSin Technology and Superior Plating Technology are seeing increasing orders for new devices coming next month.
Superior Plating Technology in particular will enjoy “sizable” orders from Apple for new iPhone, iPad and MacBook components, Digitimes reports. All three devices are expected to make their debuts “starting in March 2018.”
This will help Superior Plating Technology return to profitability after suffering losses in the first three quarters of 2017. Apple Watch component suppliers are also said to be receiving increased orders now, but a new device isn’t expected until later.
Don’t get your hopes up
We should remind you that Digitimes reports must be taken with a pinch of salt. The publication has a spotty track record when it comes to Apple rumors. There are times when its claims are accurate, but more often than not, they turn out to be false.
It’s feasible that a new iPad and a new MacBook could arrive next month, with both now ripe for a refresh. The only iPhone that Apple would refresh this early in the year is iPhone SE, but a new model isn’t expected until mid-2018.