Apple’s 3G iPhone launch plans may have seen a slight delay, at least, reading between the lines of today’s profit warning from mooted chip supplier, Infineon.
What has occurred? Infineon today warned its profits and sales would be impacted by a delay in a project to supply components to Nokia. The company also said Infineon had also received lower orders than expected for a project to supply HSDPA chips for high-speed internet phones. This immediately generated analyst speculation Apple’s new iPhone would “launch at lower volumes”.
"In our view the profit warning has been caused by ramp changes of next generation iPhone," UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudouis said as reported by Reuters.
JP Morgan analyst Sandeep Deshpande also speculated on a change in Apple’s iPhone launch plan, saying: "It could be possible that the lower volumes in the certain platform ramp cited could be Apple reducing the initial launch volume."
It’s all speculation, of course, as Infineon has never confirmed it will supply chips for the iPhone – but code indicating deployment of one of its chips was found within the iPhone SDK last month. A later report indicated United Microelectronics Corporation had been contracted to produce the chips for Infineon for use in the iPhone.
This news follows recent “rumours of a rumour” that the 3G iPhone release has been delayed, but the veracity of those claims remains extremely dubious.
Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. was claimed to have secured the manufacturing deal for the 3G iPhone in March.
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