In case you’re planning to purchase an Apple product for a liked one this Christmas, chances are you’ll need to begin your purchasing before normal, as a result of an ideal storm of logistical issues is prone to trigger extreme delays throughout the vacation season.
In an in depth exploration of the elements, AppleInsider reviews that Apple faces “giant challenges” marshalling its provide chain over the approaching months. This might imply one other delay-stricken Christmas, following issues in 2021 and, to a lesser extent, 2022.
As in 2021, a number of elements are combining to offer Apple complications–a number of of them, we must always stress, inflicting much more critical hurt to affected events than merely slowing the distribution of smartphones. Hurricane Helene, as an illustration, has induced the closure of a quartz mine which is essential to Apple’s semiconductor provide. A manufacturing facility in India has been destroyed by hearth, necessitating a shift in manufacturing.
Dock employees within the U.S. have gone on strike, and it will have extra impact than it might in earlier years due to Apple’s push to develop into carbon impartial and use ocean transport as a substitute of air the place doable. And worldwide financial situations are unsure, which may scale back the urge for food for brand new iPhones (and sarcastically assist Apple to deal with demand) however may hamstring the corporate’s funding.
Simply one among these elements would make life troublesome over the notoriously demanding vacation purchasing interval, which Apple’s product launch calendar is constructed round. However all of them collectively nearly definitely means inventory shortages and transport delays. So it’s in all probability smart to purchase before later if you would like an iPhone in time for Christmas.