As you may have probably heard by now, the industry is having some tough times with chip shortages recently, and Apple is also affected by these issues. Bloomberg reports that it is possible delays in fulfilling orders for Apple‘s latest gadgets, including the iPhone 13 series, the Apple Watch 7 and the MacBooks could occur, making the wait for the order delivery a longer process.
Delays in orders for the latest Apple tech may ruin holiday shopping, and the expected record-breaking sales
It is not unusual to have to wait for a hot-out-of-the-oven Apple product, but according to Bloomberg, this year the delays may be more noticeable and affect more shoppers. This situation will reportedly undercut what could be Apple’s biggest sales quarter in its history.
According to reports from Bloomberg and Apple, the December quarter was shaping to be a very strong quarter for Apple, and Cupertino was expected to break sales records during it.
Expectations for the final three months of 2021 were that Apple could generate nearly $120 billion, up 7% from the same time last year. Apparently, that’s more than the combined quarterly sales of Best Buy, Costco, Walt Disney, and Target!
The iPhone, which accounts for about half of Apple’s sales, is the case where there might be the most shortages. For example, one month after going on sale, the iPhone 13 Pro is now hard to find in every color and configuration. According to Apple store employees, that’s not usually the case and they are reportedly having to deal with many frustrated customers.
On the other hand, if you choose to order from Apple’s US website, your product may arrive between November 19 and November 29, potentially later than even Black Friday. The same date applies to the newest iPads as well.
However, it’s not only Apple that’s been affected by shortages. Other tech giants, such as Google, have also had issues. For example, many of the newest Google Pixel 6 models have gone out of stock, while at Amazon.com, there won’t be any new stocks until the end of 2021. On the other hand, Sony’s PlayStation 5 has had issues with supplies since it launched a year ago, while Samsung is also experiencing shortages.
Certain components are particularly hard to get for Apple
In Apple’s case, chipmakers Broadcom and Texas Instruments are having issues with short supplies and that has forced Apple to slash its iPhone 13 production targets for 2021 to 10 million units. Even Apple CEO Tim Cook has addressed the issue saying the company is a part of a larger industry shortage. On October 28, Apple will report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings.
There is still a chance, though, that Apple will be able to correct the imbalance in stock before the end of December, given the fact that Cupertino is quite good at mitigating supply-chain problems. Additionally, launching many products at once seems like a move signaling confidence.
The iPhone 13 series
According to Citigroup analyst Jim Suva and Asiya Merchant, Apple’s announcements could mean it is dealing better in navigating the disruptions in the market than other tech companies.
A similar situation happened with the new MacBook Pro, which went on sale Monday and then quickly had its shipping dates go between the middle and end of November, depending on the config you have chosen.
Apple AirTag is easier to get with no shipping delay
More affordable items are easier to get, on the other hand. For example, the newest AirPods and the old Airpods Pro, the HomePod mini, the AirTag, and the Apple TV are still available with no considerable shipping delay from Apple’s website and many retail stores. Funny though it is, some of Apple’s least sophisticated products aren’t available, for example, a $19 cleaning cloth.
