Apple Inc. has asked suppliers to build at least as many of its next-generation iPhones this year as in 2021, counting on an affluent clientele and dwindling competition to weather a global electronics downturn. Apple Inc. has asked suppliers to build at least as many of its next-generation iPhones, which is iPhone 14, this year as in 2021, counting on an affluent clientele and dwindling competition to weather a global electronics downturn. iPhone 14 launch date is likely to be either September 7 or September 13, according to reports.

It has instructed assemblers to make 90 million of its newest devices, on par with last year, despite deteriorating projections for the smartphone market, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The Cupertino, California-based company still expects to assemble roughly 220 million iPhones in total for 2022, also about level with last year, according to one of the people.

Apple’s projections, a closely guarded secret, suggest it’s confident about weathering a slump in spending on smartphones and other devices. Mobile device makers have begun freezing orders, China’s largest chipmaker warned on Friday. The global handset market, which slid 9% in the June quarter, is expected to shrink 3.5% in 2022, IDC has forecasted.

Shares of Apple suppliers in Asia rose on the news. Taiwanese iPhone assembler Pegatron Corp. jumped as much as 3.6% in its biggest gain in five weeks, while Japan Display Inc. logged its biggest two-month rise of 5%. TDK Corp. rose as much as 5.3% and Murata Manufacturing Co. gained 3.7%.

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., which puts together most of the world’s iPhones, hinted at Apple’s resilience when it said this week that sales of its smart consumer electronics products should be little changed in 2022. A representative for Apple declined to comment.

Apple is set to launch four new iPhone models that it hopes will break more ground than the 2021 versions, Bloomberg News has reported. The iPhone 14 Pro models are expected to include a much-improved front-facing camera, a new rear-camera system that includes a 48-megapixel sensor, thinner bezels, and a faster A16 chip, and a redesigned notch with a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and a hole punch for the camera.

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