Apple Reportedly Cutting iPhone X Orders Again And Will Likely Abandon 3D Touch

A new rumor is floating around that claims Apple isn’t betting big on the iPhone X for the current quarter. This comes on the heels of Apple having reportedly slashed iPhone X orders by half for Q1 2018. The new rumor claims that Apple has only ordered 8 million iPhone X smartphones for the current quarter due to slow sales. Orders in Q1 2018 were reported to be 20 million units.

The source claims that while those 20 million units represented half of what Apple had planned to build for Q1 2018, it still built too many of the very expensive smartphones for the quarter that ended in December. Apple is allegedly trying to "burn off" inventory that is languishing at resell partners.

Apple CEO Tim Cook maintains that the iPhone X has outsold the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus every week since the it launched in November. Apple is now beating on display supplier Samsung Display to lower the cost of the OLED panels. Whether this move is to boost the profit margins or to allow the OLED equipped iPhones expected to launch this year to be sold for less money remains to be seen.

As the iPhone X languishes, AppleInsider reports Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new investor note that focuses on the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone expected to launch in a few months. This device has been tipped to sell for as low as $550. Kuo has said that this 6.1-inch LCD iPhone model may not feature 3D Touch to help cut costs. The analyst says that the device will use "Cover Glass Sensor" (CGS) technology that will move the touch module from the display panel (in-cell technology) to the surface glass. The CGS technology is said to result in a display that is lighter and more shock resistant.

CGS tech is expected for future iPhones as well, including the OLED models starting in 2019. This could well mean 3D Touch is going to die off altogether.