You know the drill: Digitimes, grain, salt.

Today Digitimes re-reports that delays at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) could slow the release of  the iPhone 5S and Apple might ship “only 3-4 million units in the third quarter of 2013 compared to 10 million units as originally planned”. The report follows a similar report (now deleted) without numbers or specifics from July 15th. Of course, Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted on multiple occasions that Apple’s plans are difficult to pinpoint based on supply-chain chatter.

If we do assume the above is true, it is useful to know that the third quarter ends in September 28th here. If Apple announces on September the 10th, and there is a week or two for pre-orders, that’s pretty much a launch week/end’s worth of iPhone 5Ss.  It is also useful to know that Tim Cook noted during an earnings call that new products would be released in the Fall, which starts September 22nd.

An engineering team composed of engineers from Apple and TSMC has been dispatched to Xintec recently to help ramp up the yield rate for the packaging of fingerprint sensors, revealed the sources, adding that the supply chain will be able to start volume production of fingerprint chips at the end of August.

It is also useful to keep in mind that Apple is likely going to announce and release value-added iPhone 5C which might drive the majority of new iPhone sales this year.

Here’s likely iPhone launch window:

Cook said big Fall (begins Sept. 22nd) launch. Apple inflated Q4 ends Sept 28th http://t.co/VhlLKa1I1d

— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) July 24, 2013

Finally, these shortage reports before product announcements often turn out to be inconsequential. Apple likely has redundant suppliers for parts and the one leaked above may only be one of the players.

Digitimes also notes production of the iPhone 5S is likely to ramp up to 28-30 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013 thanks to sufficient supplies of fingerprint chips according to their sources.

  • iPhone 5S to have protruding/convex sapphire home button that doubles as a fingerprint reader? (9to5mac.com)
  • ‘iPhone 5S’ (plus gold model), ‘iPhone 5C’ will actually be names of next iPhones? (9to5mac.com)
  • Digitimes: Initial ‘iPhone 5S’ shipments to be constrained as fingerprint sensors hit low yield-rates (9to5mac.com)