iPad and MacBook Production Reportedly Delayed Due to Global Chip Shortage

[0924487]

I wouldn't be surprised that Apple decides to shelve the M1X-based 14" and 16" MacBook Pro models and instead start up production of the M2-based MacBook Pro models around October-November this year instead.

I think Apple will drastically reduce the use of 3rd party chips and controller in Macs. They will make them a part of M2 or add a T3 co-processo.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Going to buy a 12.9 iPad Pro today. I can't keep holding out. This is getting annoying.

 

[isoft7]

Going to buy a 12.9 iPad Pro today. I can't keep holding out. This is getting annoying.

A respectable decision, but it's also part of Apples plan with these sort of "news" cycles. The hype and fear has pushed you to purchase a product at full price thats already at EOL. So it worked beautifully.

 

[JPack]

I dont believe much of this report... Apple is the priority customer for TSMC, as well as shipping channels. Apple has paid the asking price to be put to the head of the line for all orders. There may be issues at certain points that cause some delays, but it won't be anything like what you've seen with Nvidia or AMD orders. Although, it's safe to assume even some of their delays have been manufactured to increase demand. Apple aint no fool, they'll capitalize on the assumption that the industry is in turmoil and hope to parlay that into record orders from panicked consumers.

Taiwan Drought Threatens to Hurt Production of Chips

Taiwan is home to several important chip manufacturers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

www.barrons.com

 

[anshuvorty]

Makes sense! Even the great Tim Cook, master of the supply chain can't undo the demand of the Great Semiconductor shortage of 2021...

 

[ComRadMac]

Wait, so mounting chips onto the circuit board before assembling a laptop is a key step in producing laptops?! This is shocking! Really hard-hitting journalism right here, who would ever know this? Next you'll claim that attaching the screen is ALSO important! The hell you say!

 

[innovationwho]

Relax. It’s not real and you’ll still be able to purchase the new product you want.

 

[1258186]

Inevitable. Chip manufactures should have increased capacity a long time ago. They must have seen this coming.

 

[isoft7]

Taiwan Drought Threatens to Hurt Production of Chips

Taiwan is home to several important chip manufacturers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

www.barrons.com

Oh trust me, I'm fully aware of the reality of things, in fact, this is my career, but thats all I can say about that.

However, TSMC has already said they have enough water to at least push through the end of May without impact and by that point it's "possible" they might be able to avoid any serious disruption.

If that is all to come, and end of May brings shortages in water supplies, then it wouldn't have impact on Apple being able to launch a product in April, as theoretically, they would have already manufactured inventory prior.

Reality is things are stressed, there's no doubt to that argument, but Apple is also customer number one, they use their financial resources to bully all of these supply chains into their submission. Might they experience some disruption? Certainly. But don't discount the value of fear, even if disingenuous.

 

[justperry]

Inevitable. Chip manufactures should have increased capacity a long time ago. They must have seen this coming.

Haha, easier said than done.
It cost billions if not 10's of billions to substantially increase capacity, ASML is afaik the only one that delivers EUV lithography systems, those cost 130+ million each, orders must be placed well in advance, it's not like you order them today you'll get them next month, more like years.
And that's just part of the story, cleanrooms are expensive to build, especially the class of cleanrooms chip manufacturers use, and then there's highly skilled personnel, not easy to get those too.
And so on....

 

[1258186]

Haha, easier said than done.
It cost billions if not 10's of billions to substantially increase capacity, ASML is afaik the only one that delivers EUV lithography systems, those cost 130+ million each, orders must be placed well in advance, it's not like you order them today you'll get them next month, more like years.
And that's just part of the story, cleanrooms are expensive to build, especially the class of cleanrooms chip manufacturers use, and then there's highly skilled personnel, not easy to get those too.
And so on....

Just because it’s expensive to set up doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have done it. The demand is there so they will make their investment back along with good profits. Plenty of places will give them grants or tax incentives to build new factories.

 

[anshuvorty]

Haha, easier said than done.
It cost billions if not 10's of billions to substantially increase capacity, ASML is afaik the only one that delivers EUV lithography systems, those cost 130+ million each, orders must be placed well in advance, it's not like you order them today you'll get them next month, more like years.
And that's just part of the story, cleanrooms are expensive to build, especially the class of cleanrooms chip manufacturers use, and then there's highly skilled personnel, not easy to get those too.
And so on....

Crash course on Chip Making...

 

[Lemon Olive]

Perhaps it is a good reminder to not buy a new device every year. It's not sustainable.

I don't buy Macs every year. But I need to buy one THIS year and the fact the new iMacs are still not out is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[jerryk]

Not surprised at all. Chips are in everything and everything is being delayed. Cars sit partially completed in factory lots, electronic toys will be in short supply next Christmas, and Nvidia GPU cards are selling for 3-4 times retail prices if you can find one.

 

[jerryk]

Stop giving miners any chips. They’re all doing the same damn calculations and wasting stupid amounts of energy and silicon to play their global money laundering sudoku game.

They have the most inefficient destructive greed based technology ever invented by the 1 percent (in this case the 0.0001 percent). They throw thousands more and more chips on their network and they are stuck at the same 7 transactions per second forever because it is hard coded.

Hard coded to steal money from fools and give it to the rich who don’t care if the rest of us suffer from the damage they cause.

No just miners. It is capacity at factories not being able to keep with demand and environmental issues. Covid created higher demand due to people needing a system at home to work from home, more electronics in every vehicle, sick chip fab workers due to Covid, and reduced electrical power in countries with plants due to droughts. We live in a globally interconnected economy. And when one part has an issue, every other part is affected.

 

[JPack]

Oh trust me, I'm fully aware of the reality of things, in fact, this is my career, but thats all I can say about that.

However, TSMC has already said they have enough water to at least push through the end of May without impact and by that point it's "possible" they might be able to avoid any serious disruption.

If that is all to come, and end of May brings shortages in water supplies, then it wouldn't have impact on Apple being able to launch a product in April, as theoretically, they would have already manufactured inventory prior.

Reality is things are stressed, there's no doubt to that argument, but Apple is also customer number one, they use their financial resources to bully all of these supply chains into their submission. Might they experience some disruption? Certainly. But don't discount the value of fear, even if disingenuous.

TSMC was already asked to cut water usage by 7%.

Samsung, NXP, and Infineon cut production due to blackouts in Texas. In February, there was a fire at Unimicron's substrate plant. In March, Renesas had a fire at one of their 12-inch fabs.

If you really were part of the industry, you'd be aware these are only some of the mishaps facing Apple suppliers.

Keep in mind TSMC doesn't fab everything. UMC supplies a lot of mature node capacity to everyone including Apple suppliers like Texas Instruments. UMC themselves are facing water shortages.

 

[NMBob]

That's OK. It'll give them time to work out the bugs.

 

[jerryk]

Just because it’s expensive to set up doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have done it. The demand is there so they will make their investment back along with good profits. Plenty of places will give them grants or tax incentives to build new factories.

Like all businesses, they make decisions based on current and future forecasts. The last thing any fab company wants is a plant built on multiple billions of credit notes sitting idle. Better to have more demand than your plants can handle so you can charge premiums to buy capacity reservations.

 

[Black Belt]

Perhaps it is a good reminder to not buy a new device every year. It's not sustainable.

Like we’re going to run out of sand

 

[ninethirty]

Stop giving miners any chips. They’re all doing the same damn calculations and wasting stupid amounts of energy and silicon to play their global money laundering sudoku game.

They have the most inefficient destructive greed based technology ever invented by the 1 percent (in this case the 0.0001 percent). They throw thousands more and more chips on their network and they are stuck at the same 7 transactions per second forever because it is hard coded.

Hard coded to steal money from fools and give it to the rich who don’t care if the rest of us suffer from the damage they cause.

It's amazing how little you know about this.

 

[edgonzalez32]

Goddamn, this shortage is really affecting everyone.

I joked that I would be able to get vaccinated before snagging a PS5. Here I am in April, fully vaccinated, with no PS5. I hope this doesn't push back the macbook pro refresh too much. Really want to see what Apple can do with their CPUs.

 

[_Spinn_]

Not good. Right now the new iPhones don't appear to be affected but I wonder if that will change before launch...

 

[sw1tcher]

Never said he was. But Apples' influence and maybe cash may have something to do with TSMC getting product out of the door.

Qualcomm has issues with chip production, you fault Qualcomm CEO.

TSMC starts A15 chip production ahead of schedule, you give credit not to TSMC CEO, but to Tim Cook???

 

[I7guy]

Qualcomm has issues with chip production, you fault Qualcomm CEO.

TSMC starts A15 chip production ahead of schedule, you give credit not to TSMC CEO, but to Tim Cook???

Maybe qualcomm didn't have enough cash or influence as Apple. But if TSMC can produce the socs for the iphone 13, why can't qualcomm produce their chips?

As far as the other delays in described in the first post, if you can't get enough sand off the beach, I guess everyone upstream depending on that sand suffers. Maybe Apple could provide some heavy machinery.

 

[ColdShadow]

Covid means higher demand. Even the assumption that it was miners eating up all the graphics cards turned out to be untrue. The shortage is due to much higher demand because everyone is at home and the production is split between highly desirable items such as M1 Macs, Geforce 30xx, Radeon 6xxx, AMD Ryzen, and the PS5. As well as a growth in the number of chips that cars need and then we also have lesser but still desirable items like Xbox, and new mirrorless cameras.

I'm not sure about that..people being more at home due to Covid have 2 sides.. yes they are mostly at home and have much more free time and want entertainment;graphics cards,CPUs,consoles etc and computer equipments if they work at home but it's not like they didn't have any of these prior to Covid and all the sudden everyone is rushing to buy these things..
and also many are working less hours /earning less / or even lost their jobs and are actually being more careful about spending money..