Nikkei: Apple's First Foldable iPhone Faces Engineering Setbacks, Shipments May Be Delayed

Sources indicate that the engineering development of the foldable iPhone is more complex than Apple originally anticipated, requiring more time to resolve. Therefore, in the worst-case scenario, initial shipments may be delayed by several months. It is understood that a small number of component suppliers have been notified that production schedules may need to be postponed. One insider said that the foldable iPhone entered a crucial Engineering Validation Test (EVT) phase this month, and the period from now until early May is extremely critical. Another person pointed out that if the foldable iPhone is delayed, it is completely unrelated to component or material shortages, but mainly due to engineering challenges. A delayed shipment of the highly anticipated foldable iPhone could impact Apple's marketing strategy. Apple has high hopes for the new iPhone series to be launched this year and expects the first foldable model to boost overall demand. Nikkei Asia previously reported that Apple has adjusted its iPhone launch strategy for this year. To prioritize the launch of high-end models, including the foldable iPhone, and to better allocate limited memory chips and other key resources, the production of standard iPhone models will be postponed until early next year. New iPhone models are customarily shipped at the end of September and must pass a series of meticulously planned stages, including New Product Introduction (NPI), Engineering Validation Test (EVT), Design Validation Test (DVT), Production Validation Test (PVT), trial production, and mass production. According to Nikkei Asia's supply chain survey of industry executives and market experts, Apple plans an initial production of about 7 million to 8 million units for the first foldable iPhone, accounting for less than 10% of its initially planned production for the new iPhone series this year. (Edited by Chang Cheng-chien) 1150407