Apple Delays MacBook and iPad Production Due to Chip Shortage

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 8 Apr 2021

There’s a global semiconductor shortage right now that’s affecting companies across all industries, including automakers and smartphone giants. Apple was believed to be immune to this shortage because of its close ties to TSMC. However, it looks like the supply crunch has got to Apple as well.

Nikkei Asia reports that due to chip shortages, Apple has had to delay the mounting of components on the PCB before the final assembly of its new MacBook Pro. The production of iPads was also delayed due to a shortage of display panels and display components.

The shortages have led Apple to delay a part of its component orders for the new MacBook Pro and iPads to the second half of the year. Many analysts believe this shows just how serious the chip shortage is and that it could severely affect smaller industry players. iPhone production so far remains unaffected by the supply shortage, though supply for certain components remains “quite tight.” However, these issues have not affected the availability of Apple products.

The fact that the supply crunch has spread to MacBooks and iPads — two key Apple items — shows that the component shortage remains a serious issue and could deal a more serious blow to tech players that have less bargaining power and supply chain management expertise than the U.S. company, industry executives told Nikkei Asia.

Apple’s position allows it to get priority from its suppliers. However, with the company also facing some issues due to chip shortages, it is clear that the matter is quite serious, and it is bound to worsen in the next quarter. It is unclear if Apple has pushed back on the launch of the 2021 iPad Pro due to this production delay.

The global chip shortage is expected to last through the entirety of 2021, with TSMC, Samsung, and other companies investing billions of dollars to ramp up production.

[Via Nikkei]