Render of the forthcoming iPhone 15 Pro
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple’s hardware sales for the rest of the year, including the iPhone 15, are expected to be lower than last year’s figures.
“Although the 4Q22 iPhone shipments had declined due to the shutdown of Hon Hai’s Zhengzhou factory in November 2022, most component shipment plans didn’t change significantly in 4Q22,” writes Kuo in his full report. “Unless the demand for the iPhone 15 is better than market expectations after launch, most of the suppliers will face growth pressure in 2H23 as the demand for iPhone 15 is lower than that of iPhone 14.”
“Therefore, unless Apple clearly indicates that it’s positive about market demand in 2H23 or 2024,” says Kuo, “this [latest Apple] financial report is unlikely to be a positive for most suppliers’ stock prices.”
