TAIPEI: Global smartphone production is expected to slump a record 16.5 per cent to 287 million phones in the June quarter from a year earlier as the coronavirus pandemic muzzles demand, TrendForce said, despite supply chains resuming after weeks of shutdown.
TrendForce cut its annual output forecast to 1.24 billion smartphones, down 11.3 per cent from 2019, from 1.35 billion. Apple, which is expected to report March-quarter results on Thursday, has slashed prices of its iPhone 11 in China, the only major market where its stores are open. It also launched a US$399 iPhone it hopes will find takers in a frugal economy.TrendForce estimates iPhone production fell nearly 9 per cent to about 38 million units in the March quarter, and expects a further drop of 2 million units in the current one.
On Wednesday, the South Korean tech giant warned of significant declines in its mobile business in the second quarter.