A smartphone component manufacturer’s falling revenue is being linked with sluggish sales of Apple’s iPhone 5.
Laird, which produces antennae parts and heat shielding components, reported that orders from its largest customer fell 17% year-on-year during 1Q13 resulting in a 2% fall in revenue during the quarter. The decline in orders is being taken as a sign that Apple is scaling back production of the iPhone 5 ahead of the launch of a successor later this year, the Telegraph reports.
While Laird did not mention Apple by name, the newspaper reasons that may be due to the US vendor’s confidentiality agreements with its suppliers.
Analysts recently noted that Apple’s next smartphone must be a success, after the firm reported a drop in profit in the first quarter.