Apple's next-generation iPhone lineup, the iPhone 15 series, could be delayed by a few weeks, according to a report from Bank of America. Analyst Wamsi Mohan believes the launch could be delayed until the fourth quarter, which runs from October to December.
He is concerned that the delay could disappoint Wall Street analysts, expecting strong sales for the iPhone 15 series. Mohan did not give a reason for the alleged delay, but he suggested that it could be linked to production challenges resulting from lockdown measures in Chinese manufacturing regions.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 series on September 7, 2023. Following the announcement, the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max were made available for purchase on September 16. However, the iPhone 14 Plus release was delayed, and it wasn't launched until October 7.
Assuming the launch in October-December, Apple is expected to follow its four iPhone lineup strategy with the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. As we reported before, Pro and Pro Max models were expected to feature solid-state buttons for volume and power.
The iPhone 15 Pro may use a combination of the Power button + Action button to turn off the device or force restart it.
Also, Mohan has projected a considerably lower revenue figure for the September quarter, totaling $87.1 billion, which falls significantly short of the market consensus of $91.6 billion. This reduced forecast comes despite a 2.5% boost from favorable foreign-exchange rates during the quarter.
Additionally, the analyst's expectations for iPhone unit sales seem conservative, with a projection of 48 million units, compared to Wall Street's more optimistic forecast of 51 million units.
Apple's earnings report will be released next week. The analyst believes the company's June quarter results will be "mostly inline." However, he expects every Apple hardware category to see year-over-year sales declines in the quarter.
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