Last quarter, we collectively purchased 18.6 million iPhone 4s. As of right now, there are an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million iPhone 4s left out there, sitting on retailer and carrier shelves, waiting for a new owner like a puppy in a window. Maybe the rather hefty chunk of iPhone 4 inventory pushed Apple to lower its Q2 shipment volume from 20 million units to 17.5 to 18 million units, but I’m secretly hoping this figure has something to do with the launch of the next-gen iPhone, maybe as soon as September of this year if rumors prove true.
The roughly 18 million iPhone 4 units to be shipped for 2011 Q2 comprises 16 million 3G models and 1.5 to 2 million units of the CDMA version, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers. The sources also claimed that iPhone 4S production will begin in August, with the earliest possible launch going down in September. Qualcomm will head up the 3G and CDMA chip supply.
Despite the lowered expectations for its iPhone 4, the company’s shipment plan for the iPad 2 is nothing but optimistic. Apple originally planned to ship 7 to 8 million units this quarter, but bumped that figure to 10 to 10.5 million units of the iPad 2, indicated the sources.
[via DigiTimes]