While Apple hasn't released official sales numbers, the general consensus is that the iPhone X hasn't quite lived up to tech giant's expectations. 'It's a stunning phone and without doubt Apple's best to date, but it's high price tag has put a lot of potential buyers off. That's why supply chain sources have said Apple has reduced its order of the iPhone X to 8 million units in Q2 2018 and analysts expect it to be killed off this year.
The lack of demand for Apple's premium iPhone model can be seen in the earnings reports of some its suppliers. Samsung released its Q1 earning report recently - where it confirmed it would launch MicroLED TVs later this year - but in it, it also showed a "slow demand for flexible OLED panels". These very panels are supplied to Apple for the iPhone X. However Samsung does expect sales and revenue to increase later this year when Apple releases new models.
Another major supplier for Apple is TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing), which says it has too much stock of the components usually bought by Apple, and so has revised its full-year revenue target as a result.
Neil Campling, co-head of the global thematic group focusing on technology at analytics firm Mirabaud Securities, says Apple will kill off the iPhone X. Speaking to CNBC, Campling said the simple problem for Apple is that the "iPhone X is too expensive, consumers are turning their backs on high-priced smartphones".
Apple is expected to release three new iPhones in September this year, two OLED models (one regular, one plus-sized) and one with an LCD screen. All are thought to have similar designs to the iPhone X: edge-to-edge display and a notch. Campling still believes this will be the case, but says one could be a much cheaper model, coming in around the $500 mark - a prediction mirrored by Ming-Chi Kuo, who says the LCD model could cost $550.
Apple will release its quarterly earnings on 1 May, and all eyes will be on them to see just how well the iPhone X has performed up to now.