Tim Cook asks analysts to question the accuracy of supply chain rumors and their effect on sales numbers

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, during Apple’s Q1 2013 earnings call, just attempted to weigh-in on rumors about the company allegedly reducing iPhone 5 orders by half in recent weeks.

“I don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about rumors, because I will spend my life doing that,” he said, while noting it is good to doubt rumors in regards to Apple’s supply chain.

Earlier this month, several analysts and reports surfaced about Apple allegedly cutting component orders, such as displays, for the iPhone 5 during the January through March 2013 quarter, with an additional rumor that Apple already notified parts suppliers of the change last month.

The executive did not comment on any rumor specifically, but he seemed to suggest that analysts should question the accuracy of supply chain rumors and how they affect sales numbers.

“I’d stress that even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret for our overall business, ” he added. “ Yields can vary. Supplier performance can vary. There’s an inordinately long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on.”