A new supply chain report this morning is claiming that chip orders from Apple for the second quarter are markedly lower to those in the same quarter in previous years. Overall chip orders placed by Apple for the second quarter will only be slightly higher than those for the first quarter, despite the upcoming availability of its 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro devices, said the sources.

Sales of the latest Apple devices have been disappointing, according to sources at analog IC suppliers. Chip shipments for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus for the second quarter of 2016 will likely be halved from those shipped in the first quarter, the sources indicated.

Shipments for the new iPhone SE will be unable to offset the fall in shipments for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices in the second quarter, the sources continued. The shipment target for the SE in the second quarter is four to five million units, the sources said.

Chip orders from Apple are unlikely to return to the previous high levels until after the third quarter of 2016, when its next-generation iPhone, iPad, MacBook and iMac products become available, the sources noted.

Apple began shipping the iPhone SE earlier than scheduled so as to secure sales being recorded for their current quarter to offset slower demand of the other iPhone models. Apple's next financial conference call will take place on April 25.

Apple's new iPhone SE uses the same A9 processor used in the iPhone 6s. The initial teardown of the new iPhone has been revealed by Chipworks who plans to do further testing over the next few weeks. To review the results of their preliminary iPhone 5 SE teardown, click here.

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