Apple Inc. may have unveiled details of the iPhone X last night but consumers will have to wait until November to get their hands on the new device.
Equally investors hoping to see a boost to iPhone sales will have to be patient as the company won't begin shipping the phone until 3 November, which is later than expected.
READ: Apple's iPhone X may have wowed gadget-heads but investors aren’t too thrilled
The later-than-anticipated release date has sent shares in Apple’s suppliers lower today.
Shares in Apple suppliers fall
Among the suppliers in the red are IQE PLC (LON:IQE), STMicroelectronics NV (NYSE:STM) and Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC).
“Given the amount of preparation involved, it seems odd that Apple can’t actually make the product available until 3 November, even if British gadget fans can pre-order the £999-plus device from 27 October,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
“As a result, there has to be a chance that Apple’s shares pause for breath, especially after their stunning run from US$108 a year ago to US$161, just shy of the $164 all-time high racked up last week.”
Mould added that the key developments in the iPhone X, including facial recognition, an OLED edge-to-edged screen and an enhanced camera, had all been leaked before the launch of the handset and none of the features represent a major step ahead of competition.
Apple suppliers to consider as investments
Mould said after Softbank’s takeover of ARM last year, UK investors are left with few options if they want to “access the Apple phenomenon via its chain of suppliers”.
“Options to consider include IQE, whose shares have rocketed this year amid speculation that its semiconductor wafers, which are made of gallium arsenide and gallium nitride rather than the more traditional silicon, will be a key enabler of the new iPhone’s 3D-tracking technology,” he said.
READ: Hefty price tag of Apple's iPhone X may deter some overseas consumers, analysts warn
“Laird, a specialist in electromagnetics and connectivity, is a further name to watch, although last autumn’s crunching profit warning may deter some.”
“Another name to note therefore is Gloucestershire-based precision instruments supplier Renishaw, whose tools are used by manufacturers of vital components used by Apple.”
However, he said these suppliers may fall pretty to profit taking now that details of the iPhone X have been unveiled and surprises look to be few and far in between.