Apple’s proactive procurement policy has kept it largely immune from the global shortage but a recent incident at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) shows that planning can only go so far.
The chip manufacturing company has reported gas contamination at the Fab 18 factory where processors are presumably being made for the iPhone 13, the next Macs, and possibly the 2022 iPad Pro.
The company has told Nikkei Asia that some production lines in the South Taiwan Science Park are believed to have received contaminated gases from suppliers. This was discovered yesterday and the company was swift in replacing the gas supplies.
The foundry is now taking measures to ensure that product quality will not be affected. iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic chip reportedly went into production in late May. TSMC believes the incident will not have a significant impact on operations.
The report also implies that Apple will kick off mass production of the iPhone 13 in late August. The new lineup will reportedly be announced in September.
Apple had earlier warned that chip supply constraints would extend to the iPhones in the next quarter. The company had said in April that the chip shortage would affect the iPad and Mac too.
