We’ve written before in general terms about the delays and shortages that are likely to affect Apple products this Christmas. But now we have more detail about the devices that will be most afflicted.
According to a new report from Nikkei Asia (citing “sources briefed on the matter”), Apple has decided to cut iPad production by half due to the global chip shortage. With Apple simply running out of components for its products, the company is prioritising the iPhone 13 handsets, as that segment is the one in which it is likely to make the most money.
Previously, Apple has cut production of older iPhone models for the same reason, prioritising the iPhone 12 over the iPads from 2020.
It’s important to note that this is a move that Apple has already made: Nikkei reports that production of the iPad “was down 50% from Apple’s original plans for the past two months”, so it would be reasonable to guess that some effects of this will have already been felt. But as popular as the new iPads were at launch, demand is likely to ramp up sharply in the near future.
For this reason, the consequences for customers are likely to be longer delivery times as we move into the Christmas buying period, when any shortages or bottlenecks in the supply chain are ruthlessly exposed. In other words, it’s important to place your order in good time if you want to buy an iPad for Christmas – and bear in mind that despite Apple’s strategy, there could yet be issues with supplies of the iPhone and other Apple devices amid extremely high demand.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation (using DeepL) and additional reporting by David Price.
