Contract manufacturer Foxconn is set to switch production resources from Apple’s iPhone 5c to its high-end iPhone 5s at one of its factories, according to “industry sources”.

The report, from the sporadically reliable DigiTimes, comes after previous claims that Apple has cut orders for its lower-priced iPhone, indicating weaker demand.

Last month, it was the somewhat more well-regarded The Wall Street Journal that was the source of the reports, which said that Foxconn and peer Pegatron (which assembles the lion’s share of iPhone 5c volumes) had both seen reduced orders.

The launch of the lower-cost iPhone 5c introduced a new degree of complexity to Apple’s supply chain, being available in several colours, memory sizes, and network configurations, as well as adding a second distinct model to the line.

But it has been noted that the price difference between the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s is not that great, meaning the former is not helping Apple build its presence in price-sensitive markets, while in mature markets customers are still going for the flagship device.

This in itself is not a problem, as long as the company does not run into inventory issues with its iPhone 5c stock and components. For most vendors, finding that consumers prefer to buy a more expensive product would be an unexpected bonus.