Apple iPhone sales are reportedly flagging

Gadget giant Apple has apparently cut its orders with suppliers in response to lower-than-expected demand for its latest iPhones.

The scoop comes from the WSJ, which spoke to the usual, shady people close to the matter in the Apple supply chain. They’re apparently bent out of shape because they have planned according to a previous, more bullish Apple forecast and are now faced with over-capacity problems.

Of the new models it seems that the cheaper XR is the one that is most undershooting initial expectations, with the WSJ suggesting orders may have been cut by a third. This has apparently all come as a nasty shock, although if those suppliers had been tracking Apple’s recent earnings announcements, in which it down-graded its forecast,  they might have been better prepared.

The piece cites a bunch of circumstantial evidence, such as overtime being cut at Foxconn, as further evidence and it’s interesting to speculate about the reasons. It’s unlikely to be price, with the X having sold plenty and the cheaper model heaviest hit, so this is probably a cyclical thing. The global smartphone market has been in recession all year and people are probably waiting longer to replace their phones, especially the most expensive ones.