Despite the delay in the launch of the iPhone 12 series this year due to the pandemic, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple will be launching the iPhone 13 series as per its usual timeframe.

The analyst also noted that the mass production of the iPhone 13 series in 2021 will start as per Apple’s usual pre-Covid timeframe. This means the iPhone 13 series should enter into mass production in late June or July before they go on sale in late September. This year due to the pandemic, the mass production of the iPhone 12 series was delayed by a few weeks, with the devices launching a month later than usual.

Kuo also claims in his note that demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro series is strong which has led to a shortage of wide-angle camera lens thereby leading to extended shipping times. He also said that the iPhone 12 Pro demand has been strong than anticipated, though he expects demand to wane off a bit from Q1 2021. This will also lead to a drop in TSMC’s capacity utilization as it would have to fabricate fewer A-series chips.

The last quarter of the year is usually the peak season for Apple, with almost all of its products being in high demand. This is also the reason why the iPhone 12 series is in short supply despite the pandemic.

Our Take

While the mass production of the iPhone 13 series will be as per the regular timeframe, it remains to be seen if Apple will unveil the new iPhones in September next year or not. Doing that would mean the iPhone 12 series would have a shell life of around 10 months only.