Contract manufacturer Pegatron says it is bullish on high end phones in 2018

The CEO of  Pegatron, S.J. Liao, says that he is very optimistic about the state of the high-end phone market in 2018. The company is one of the contract manufacturers used by Apple to assemble its devices, including the Apple iPhone 8. While the smartphone market is slowing in general, Liao said that his company won't be affected because of its focus on high-end handsets. He adds that Pegatron won't even try competing with Chinese manufacturers churning out low-to-mid-range models. The executive says that high-end smartphones will see strong demand this year thanks to the inclusion of AI and AR based features.

While larger rival Foxconn is the only contract manufacturer assembling the Apple iPhone X, there is talk that Pegatron will get the job from Apple to assemble what could be called the iPhone 9. This handset is rumored to carry a 6.1-inch LCD screen, feature the TrueDepth Camera and Face ID. Unlike the other two iPhone models expected from Apple this year (possibly an iPhone Xs and an iPhone Xs Plus), the iPhone 9 is said to be equipped with a single camera on back. This should be the lowest priced of the three 2018 models expected to be unveiled this coming September. One industry source says that the back of this unit will be made of metal, or will come with a glass back in different colors.


Kylie Huang, an analyst at Daiwa Capital Market, says that the iPhone 9 could prove to be a very popular model. He expects it to be a "a good high-end phone with a more affordable price." He also believes that Pegatron's casing unit Casetek will finally get some iPhone business thrown at it from Apple. Currently, the division provides housing for various Apple iPad models.

source: NikkeiAsianReview