In a note to clients — as reported by “AppleInsider” (www.appleinsider.com) — Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu says improved production of the iPhone 5 means increased profitability for Apple.
The analyst says that, after checking with members of Apple’s overseas supply chain, he believes iPhone 5 yields are still improving. The progress comes as estimated shipping times from Apple’s online store have improved to between two and four days, while the handset is set to launch in more than 50 countries this month.
Wu adds that demand for Apple’s latest smartphone is still “robust.” He predicts that Apple will sell 47.3 million units in the December quarter, a forecast slightly greater than market consensus of between 45 million and 46 million iPhones sold during the holiday quarter.