Apple really have an enviable position like few hardware companies before them: when there’s a demand anomaly they can just ask their suppliers to turn the dials. Apple in this regard doesn’t have to worry so much about keeping factories running.
Separately, while Tim C may have pointed the finger st the Chinese economy, there remains a growing concern that the global economy is also slowing. China may just be going through an isolated economic change or it may be a signal that other parts of the world are to follow.
Is this really unique to Apple? This is what Lean is all about. They might have some risk with regard to contract quotas, but otherwise this should be normal in a "just-in-time manufacturing" world.
Separately, while Tim C may have pointed the finger st the Chinese economy, there remains a growing concern that the global economy is also slowing. China may just be going through an isolated economic change or it may be a signal that other parts of the world are to follow.