Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

Apple ordering enough components to build 3M iPhone 4s per month

Apple has been ordering enough components to have built a stockpile of several million iPhone 4s in anticipation of this month's launch and continue on with a quarterly run rate of roughly 9 million units, according to a published report.

Asia Optical chairman Robert Lai recently revealed that his firm has been delivering VGA lens kits to Apple for the iPhone 4's front-facing video camera since May, with monthly shipments averaging 3 million.

The iPhone maker's business will reportedly boost Asia Optical's optical lens kit revenues by some 25% to 30%. In addition to the front-facing VGA-quality video conferencing camera, the iPhone 4 also sports a 5-megapixel still camera on its backside that's also capable of HD (720p) video recording at up to 30 frames per second.

Lai's comments would suggest that Apple is posed to ship at least 9 million iPhone 4s during its fourth fiscal quarter of the year ending September, which would represent a more than 20% increase in iPhone sales year-over-year before shipments of iPhone 3GS — which the company will continue to offer — are factored into the mix.

When combined, Apple could see itself break the 10 million unit milestone for iPhone sales during a single quarter for the first time in its history. Its quarterly record currently stands at 8.75 million units, which was achieved during its second fiscal quarter of 2010 ended March.

For its part, rival Research in Motion broke the 10 million unit barrier for the first time last fall when it shipped a record 10.1 million Blackberries during its November quarter.