Apple CEO Tim Cook has downplayed reports suggesting the it's reduced iPhone component orders due to weakening demand for the smartphone.
According to Cook, the company's supply chain is "complicated," so a single aspect shouldn't be looked into too much. That said, he nether confirms nor denies the report.
"I’d also stress that, even if a particular data point were to be factual, it would be impossible to interpret what that data point means to our business," he told analysts during the company's 2012 fourth quarter earnings conference call.
"Our supply chain is very complex and we have multiple sources for our components. Yields can vary…supplier performance can vary. There’s an inordinate list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on."
During December, Apple is believed to have cut orders of the iPhone 5's screen by around 50 percent due to waning demand. It's also said to have reduced orders for components for its flagship device.
Apple recently announced its financial results for 2012's Q4; the firm sold 47.8 million iPhones and 22.9 million iPad units, resulting in record revenue but flat profit.