Amber Neely
Chip shortages and bottlenecks in the global supply chain may be driving some customers to seek alternatives to Apple's latest iPhone, causing demand for the smartphone to drop.
Apple has reportedly already cut production targets by up to 10 million units because of chip shortages spurred by a spike in COVID-19 cases globally, as well as power usage restrictions in China.
Apple may now be telling component suppliers that demand for the iPhone 13 has slowed, an anonymous source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The source reports that Apple is now telling vendors that many of its projected orders may not materialize.
In October, it was reported that demand for the new iPhone 13 lineup was "robust," and the company expected to see continued growth in all of its product categories through the first quarter of 2022.
In November, it appeared as though the supply chain may have been improving as iPhone 13 Pro lead times contracted slightly in the seventh week of availability.
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Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
16 Comments
Bloomberg? Fake news.
I doubt Apple would ever tell suppliers demand for the end product has dropped. Fails all understanding of Apple’s secrecy.
Also — nobody drives in nyc because of all the traffic.
How does Bloomberg move Apple’s stock upward? Have Gurman claim Apple’s interest in the Car has been reinvigorated.
This story makes no sense. Demand doesn't slow down because of a chip shortage. "Oh, I was going to buy an iPhone, but I hear there's a chip shortage, so I've changed my mind." A chip shortage might leave Apple unable to meet demand, but that's a different thing... and thus far, Apple seems to have weathered the chip shortage very well.