The company predicts increased demand for smartphones in the coming months, and buyers of new iPads will have to wait for delivery until December.
iPad production in September-October 2021 decreased by 50% compared to Apple’s plans, Nikkei Asia reports, citing sources close to the company.
The iPad and iPhone share peripheral chips. Apple believes that the demand for the iPhone 13 will be higher than for the iPad. Peak sales usually occur in the first months after the release of a new model, sources told the publication. Also, Western markets are beginning to recover after the pandemic. Europe and America account for 66% of Apple’s revenue.
In 2020, Apple has already redistributed production from the iPad to the iPhone 12 to meet demand at the height of the pandemic, the publication reports.
According to Apple’s website, when ordering a 256 GB iPad in North and South America and Europe, delivery will have to wait until December 15, when ordering an iPad mini – until the first week of December, as well as in Russia. iPad delivery to China will take six weeks.
In a report for the quarter, Apple predicted a drop in revenue from iPad sales from October to December due to a lack of components. Apple said it lost revenue of $6 billion in the fourth quarter due to a shortage of chips.