According to one of Nikkei's sources, "the level of revision is different for each supplier and depends on the product mix they supply." In addition, the tech giant apparently told suppliers to lower its manufacturing target even before it adjusted its earnings guidance.

Nikkei says that instead of going forward with its planned production of 43 million units, the company is reducing its target number for the quarter to 40 million iPhones. Those numbers are significantly lower than the 47 to 48 million units Apple originally wanted to manufacture for the first three months of 2019. Cupertino probably decided on that initial goal based on previous sales, seeing as it sold 52.21 million units within the same period last year.

In November 2018, Nikkei also reported that Apple canceled a planned production increase for the iPhone XR. When asked about reports that Apple's affordable smartphone is a flop in a recent interview, though, Tim Cook said those reports aren't true and that the XR "has been the most popular iPhone every single day" since it launched.