iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus production accelerating alongside cutback in orders for iPhone 8
A new report generated by KGI Securities authored by Ming-Chi Kuo not sees a 35 percent to 45 percent growth in production in the holiday quarter, versus Apple's last fiscal quarter of 2017 that ended in September. Kuo believes that the supply increase is warranted because of widespread positive reception to the high-end device, and robust Chinese New Year holiday demand.
On the other side of the coin is the iPhone 8. Given the demand for the iPhone 8 Plus being greater than that of the iPhone 8, production of the smaller device in the family is expected to fall between 50 percent and 60 percent in the holiday quarter. Kuo believes that the iPhone 8 Plus is "cannibalizing demand" for the iPhone 8, and some of Apple's manufacturing partners will switch production lines from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone X to work out supply and demand balance issues.