A Broadcom fourth quarter sales forecast indicates it expects a 25% sequential rise in wireless revenue. The Apple supplier’s statements echo similar ones made last year ahead of the 2017 iPhone launch.
Speaking with analysts in a post-earnings conference call covering the third quarter of 2018, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said he expects a “seasonal uptick” in wireless parts orders to drive current quarter revenue forecasts, reports Broadcom.
The 25 percent boost is in large part thanks to a ramp in manufacturing at a “North American customer,” believed by analysts to be Apple. Broadcom supplies a number of components used in iPhone devices, including the touchscreen and wireless charging controllers found in iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
Tan’s comments reflect a near identical outlook as the second quarter of 2017, when he said wireless revenues were expected to increase in the “mid-20 percent” range.
If it is true that Apple is relying on Broadcom for the same level of component production as last year, the component maker’s forecast suggests demand for the 2018 iPhone lineup will be on a similar level as last year’s iPhone demand.
Although Apple’s iPhone shipments during the 2017 holiday quarter, the Cupertino firm still sold 77.3 million units at a record average selling price of approximately $796.42, leading to its best quarter ever in terms of revenue ($88.3 billion).
