The Apple iPhone 5S has not been announced yet but anticipation for the next-generation iPhone is already high among the Apple faithfuls. Unlikely to be a major update over the iPhone 5, plenty of new features are still expected including a new fingerprint sensor. It now appears that those who want to be among the first to get their hands on it will need to once again line up in Apple launch day fashion. According to the hit-and-miss Digitimes, Apple may have to cut shipment forecasts over some component production issues.
Citing its usual industry sources, yields of both fingerprint-recognition chips and LCD driver IC are not meeting targets. Volume production should have been underway by now but has been delayed to the end of the month as Apple had to make modifications to the original chip design to improve production yields. In turn, this will affect initial supply of the iPhone 5S. Shipments of about three milllion iPhone 5S smartphones could be pushed out to the fourth quarter as a result.
Apple is still expected to ship some 30 million iPhones (a mix of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 and the new iPhone 5S) over the quarter
Last year, Apple acquired AhthenTec, a maker of fingerprint-recognition chipsets, for about US$356 million. Since then, speculation has been rampant that Apple would add such a sensor to the upcoming iPhone 5S.
Source : Digitimes