One of Apple’s component suppliers, Sharp, may be falling behind in its production of screens for the new iPhone, according to a new report from Reuters. According to an anonymous source familiar with Sharp’s production operations, the company may be struggling with high production costs, and has questioned whether Apple might provide a financial incentive to accelerate production.
For its part, Sharp was expected to begin mass production of LCD screens from its Kameyama plant in Japan, and although it is considered common knowledge that the company produces screens for Apple, it has never officially acknowledged that Apple is among its customers.
Apple’s next-generation iPhone is expected to be announced at an event in mid-September, and released shortly thereafter.
Since Apple routinely uses multiple screen suppliers, it is unclear whether a delay at one supplier will have any impact on Apple’s release schedule. Moreover, Apple also schedules subsequent international product release dates over the course of several weeks, allowing the company to limit broader worldwide availability without affecting its initial domestic launch.
