iPhone News Updated

Hon Hai Group is very likely to land Apple's big order for 10 million units of its iPhone models in the second quarter of this year, according to industry sources.

Industry insiders noted that, with likely lifting of restrictions on telecom service carriers, Apple may freely promote its new iPhone worldwide. And backed by Hon Hai Group's superior

production capacity and capability to fuel growth, Apple may achieve considerable penetration rate for such high-end handsets globally in the second half of this year.

In fact, Hon Hai Group has been focusing on its partnership with Apple, already having won several orders for the brand's iPod nano and iPhone 2.5G version. Recently, the group has shown intense ambition to land orders for the new iPhone, especially after failing to land earlier ones for ultra-thin Macbook notebook PCs. Word is that the group will probably succeed in the second quarter, but the group declines to comment on such news.

Gartner, a global market survey institute, indicated that Apple may have placed its big order with an Asian contract supplier for 10 million units of the new iPhone, which is based on 3G (third generation) communication system and features power efficiency and ultra-thin, chic styling targeting the consumer market.

The new iPhone is expected to be officially unveiled in Europe and the U.S. in the third quarter of this year, Gartner forecasted, adding that mass production of the new model will probably start within one and half year. Incidentally, the original Asian version of iPhone is scheduled to be launched in the second quarter of this year.

Noteworthy is that Apple will work with more telecom companies to promote its iPhones worldwide, rather than working with specific ones as it did with AT&T in the U.S. before. This is good news for both Apple's contract suppliers of iPhone and related parts makers, but may be bad for its rival High Tech Computer Corp., which competes against Apple with a similar HTC touch model targeting high-end segment.

Taiwan Suppliers for Apple's iPhone:

Assembly
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.

Printed Circuit Board
Unimicron Technology Corp., Tripod Technology Corp., Nan Ya PCB Corp.

Lens
Largan Precision Co., Altus Technology Inc.

Camera Module
Lite-On Technology Corp., Primax Electronics Ltd.

Housing
Foxconn Technology Corp., Catcher Technology Co.

USB Integrated Circuit
Alcor Micro Corp., Phison Electronics Corp.

Connector
Entery Industrial Co., Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co.

Display Panel
Innolux Display Corp.

Passive Component
Cyntec Co., Ltd.

Quartz Component
TXC Corp.

[Thanks: http://www.emsnow.com]