Yes this is correct and why autos are a con.
I have grown many photoperiod strains that will flower in a genuine 6-7 weeks.
Flowering can be affected by many things though, lighting and nutrition being the 2 most important, but as I said earlier, auto flower breeders are not being entirely truthful about flowering times, their quoted times seem somewhat fanciful and in my experience, what ever they say, add 2-5 weeks on top.
Besides, this is more like comparing apples with oranges. The breeders are using the best of everything, which can in no way represent someone growing in a cupboard with a low wattage and cheap blurple light.
Stick with photoperiod plants - more stable, better yields, easier to grow, generally more potent and YOU can decide when to flower. On top of this, they use much less electricity to finish a cycle, saving you a lot of money.
How come?
Well - Autos = 12-16 weeks at 18/6
- Photos = 4-6 weeks at 18/6 and 6-8 weeks at 12/12.
Using a typical 12 week cycle -
Autos 12 weeks x 18 hours = 1512 hours of lights on time.
Photos at 4 weeks x 18 hours = 504 hours, plus 8 weeks at 12 hours = 672 hours, for a total of 1176 hours lights on time.
This equals an extra 336 hours of additional lights on time for autos over photoperiod plants.
I know which electricity bill I would prefer!
Hope this help,.........
Organoman.
(and enemy of autoflowers!)