Report Claims Apple Will Cut iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Production by 30% in Early 2016

There’s no doubt that 2016 is poised to be another big year for Apple, with product launches and refreshes galore looming on the horizon. Most specifically, however, many of us are probably anticipating the big refresh of the company’s iPhone handset, ‘iPhone 7,’ that’s expected to take place sometime during the fall quarter.

And therefore, a recent report by Nikkei — stating that Apple is planning to cut back on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus production during the first quarter of 2016 — probably raises very few eyebrows.

The report emphasizes that “lackluster sales” have caused Apple’s latest handset to “pile up” at retailers all around the world, which, in turn, has prompted the Cupertino company to drastically cut back on production of the devices.

According to the report published by Nikkei, “Inventories of the two models launched last September have piled up at retailers in markets ranging from China and Japan to Europe and the U.S. amid lackluster sales. Customers saw little improvement in performance over the previous generation, while dollar appreciation led to sharp price hikes in emerging markets.”

The report also indicated that, as was the case with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple had originally notified its suppliers to keep up with production of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus as intended. However, declining sales of the handset have caused the tech-giant to reassess its production forecasts by one-third within the first few months of 2016.

On a brighter note for both Apple and its suppliers, however, the report also indicates that this production reduction may only be a momentary protocol, as Apple might request that production be reinstated as usual after the March quarter — if, of course, it’s able to sell through the existing stockpile of handsets.

Have you purchased an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus? What are your personal opinions on the device’s performance and cost-benefit ratio? Or does waiting for the iPhone 7 seem like the better way to go at this point?

Learn More: Why Apple Dropped the Price of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in India by 16%