San Francisco, Jul 2 (IANS): Apple is reportedly planning to ship 15-20 million units of 5G iPhone 12 this year.

Supply chain estimates previously tipped Apple's 5G iPhone, likely to be called iPhone 12, to ship between 30-40 million units.

This estimate has now been revised massively, "with expectations now reportedly only set at between 15 and 20 million units, a 50 per cent reduction," reports DigiTimes.

The main reason for the lower shipments than the previous estimation is vague at the moment.

It could be possibly due to the pandemic as the world economy has tanked in recent months.

The "iPhone 12" range is expected to consist of four models, all with 5G connectivity.

Meanwhile, Apple is also likely to delay the launch of new iPhonel 12 series by at least two months which may take place in November instead of the usual mid-September time-frame.

According to a report by investment bank Cowen, Apple's second-quarter production is expected to be 35 million units, down 5 per cent from the first quarter and down 13 per cent from the same period last year.