Japan’s manufacturers poised for iPhone 6

Posted on 18 Jun 2014 by Victoria Fitzgerald

Japanese machine tool and component manufacturers are receiving substantial orders as the iPhone 6 goes into production, according to Japan's Nikkei Business Daily.

Nikkei reported that domestic orders for industries connected to the handset were “booming”.

Machine tool orders from China are said to be at a “high level” as Chinese component makers begin mass production for the next iPhone.

Demand for machine tools destined for China increased 7.5 times compared to a year ago as a result of orders created by the new iPhone model.

Not all machine tool orders are for the iPhone 6, but demand for the product is a driving factor in the surge.

Orders are also rising at Japan-based suppliers for other iPhone-related parts like ceramic capacitors and optical image stabilisation-related components.

However, manufacturers are wary of an over-reliance on Apple.

Sales of Apple devices have declined since the iPhone 4S compared to prior generations.

Apple’s combined global share of smartphones has decreased since 2013.