Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup is likely to include three different models, all of which will feature Face ID, and the company is looking for ways to avoid the inventory issues that the original iPhone X experienced.
As a result, Apple wants to start trial production of the new models as early as the second quarter of the year, according to a report by Digitimes citing sources from Taiwan's IC design houses.
The 3D sensing modules used for Face ID have been blamed for the iPhone X's limited supply, and given that the same technology will be used in the next-generation iPhone, Apple technically needs three times as many of these components for the new models. At the same time, it needs to ensure that its suppliers have the production capacity to meet demand, so by starting trial production early, all of these problems could be avoided.
On the other hand, it is worth emphasizing that this is just a test production and depending on its results, Apple can then determine the date on which mass production of the new iPhones can begin.
The same report cites sources as saying that sales of all iPhones made in 2017 were lower than expected, and these include not only the iPhone X, but also the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple, however, is hoping that its 2018 models could boost demand thanks to a rather different approach, including the ability to lower the prices of its devices. Rumor has it that Apple is working on a more affordable 6.1-inch iPhone, which will even feature Face ID, but will lack 3D Touch and a dual-camera system.
The new models are expected to hit shelves in September of this year, and given that production could start early, limited supply is something Apple wants to avoid at all costs.
