At Christmas, there may not be enough iPhone 13 to unwrap under the tree. It is the effect of the microchip crisis, which is unleashing an unbridled procurement rush around the world. Not even Apple is immune, which will have to “settle” for a production of 80 million new iPhones, 10 million fewer than those it had planned to reach by the end of the year. The warning also comes from the White House, which warns that for the Christmas holidays “There will be things that people will not be able to obtain.”
Apple suppliers, namely Broadcom and Texas Instruments, are unable to keep up with the demand for semiconductors, which is growing stronger “especially in China and the United States,” said analyst Dan Ives, who presented a stronger estimate. “Optimistic” “Apple will be short of at least 5 million iPhone 13 for the holiday season if demand continues at this rate.” Texas Instruments, which manufactures some of the chips and imports others, has raised concerns about the supply of microprocessors for the rest of the year.
These shortcomings have already tangible effects from the release of the latest models; the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max went on sale in September, but the wait required to receive your order is, at the moment, at least a month.
Already in July, Apple had reported that the shortage of semiconductors had affected the production of Mac and iPad, foreseeing in the short time a negative impact also on iPhones. A slowdown that was also reflected in revenue growth. Shares of Apple fell 1.6%, reflecting larger declines in the US stock market and Asia, largely due to fears that the persistent impact of Covid and supply chain problems will trigger rampant inflation and it will reduce growth.
This is another sign of the important limitations to the flow of global trade, due to the effects of the chaotic post-Covid economic recovery, which lead to a shortage of energy, components, finished products, labor and transport. In addition, the shortage of energy, resulting in a spike in prices, has resulted in the closure of several factories in major Asian production centers, such as China and South Korea, in recent weeks, further exacerbating already critical delays throughout the global logistics system.
The United States Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, yesterday underlined in a tweet the importance of local production, to free oneself from the uncertainty of imports: «Semiconductors play a vital role in our economic and national security. We need to make sure they’re made in America. The $ 52 billion investment in domestic manufacturing is a key step to restore industrial jobs in the United States “
Semiconductors play a vital role in our economic & national security.
We must ensure they are made in America.
The $52B investment in domestic semiconductor production is a critical step in restoring U.S. manufacturing jobs.
— Secretary Gina Raimondo (@SecRaimondo) October 11, 2021
Meanwhile, White House officials are preparing the population, warning that Americans may find less full shelves and higher prices on Christmas tags, as every sector has been impacted by shortages in the supply chain. The intention is also to incentivize purchases right now, in order to relieve the pressure in the pre-holiday period. “There will be things that people can’t get,” a senior White House official told Reuters. panic, but we all feel frustration and have to be patient to get through this relatively short period of time. ‘