Sharp has reportedly fallen behind schedule in delivering displays to Apple for its upcoming iPhone 5. Reuters reports that the supplier is struggling with manufacturing difficulties and high costs and is not able to meet production targets. Just how far behind schedule Sharp is is not not clear though.
For its part, Sharp would only confirm that its Kameyama LCD plant which produces the displays in question “is operational.” It did not provide output or shipment level details.
The report adds that Apple could provide “financial incentives” to speed up production. With Apple also using both Japan Display and South Korea’s LG Display Co as suppliers, it could also turn to them to see if they can increase production.
Apple is widely expected to announce the iPhone 5 at an event scheduled for September 12th. It could then hit the street as early as September 21st. Apple could limit what countries see the launch on that day if it is facing supply issues.
Read more: Reuters