Apple Ramping Up M1 Production as New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Expected to Reach Five Million Shipments in 2021 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Ramping Up M1 Production as New 12.9-inch iPad Pro Expected to Reach Five Million Shipments in 2021

by

Apple is seemingly expecting high demand for its new M1-powered iPad Pro as the company has asked its main chip supplier, TSMC, to ramp up production of the chip for its new iPad, and newer Mac computers, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.

ipad pro with m1 chip
Earlier this week, Apple unveiled a brand new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro powered by the M1 Apple silicon chip, the same chip powering the newly announced 24-inch iMac, and previously released Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.

The M1 chip first started shipping in November, and amid an ongoing global chip shortage, demand for the chip is even more pronounced thanks to the new ‌iPad Pro‌. DigiTimes reports that TSMC had a previous goal of 120,000 chip wafers per month for the second half of the year. Thanks to a strong push from Apple, TSMC now has its eyes set on 140,000 to 150,000 monthly chip waters from the second to the fourth quarter of the year.

Even though the new ‌iPad Pro‌ and 24-inch iMac were announced this week, they won't begin shipping until the second half of May. The significant delay between announcement and shipments is likely due to strain put on Apple's suppliers.

Research cited by another ‌DigiTimes‌ report today suggests that the new higher-end 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ which features a new Liquid Retina XDR Display, will reach 5 million shipments this year. The new ‌iPad Pro‌ and 24-inch ‌iMac‌ will be available for pre-order starting Friday, April 30.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tags: DigiTimes, M1 Guide
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

I
Isengardtom
65 months ago
I suspect something big at WWDC with regards to this. I mean we don’t need M1 + 8GB / 16GB ram to play Grindstone and browse the web
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BvizioN Avatar
BvizioN
65 months ago
I just wish the Retina XDR display was on the 11" also. The larger one is just a bit too large for me to travel with.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
calstanford
65 months ago
It's kind of crazy people are using the same (M1) or basically the same (A14) chip from iPhone Mini's all the way to 24" iMacs
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
dumastudetto
65 months ago

As was the prior one. The 2018 and 2020 ones are still overkill for what iPadOS and these apps can do.
For example, people who use Adobe apps will immediately see benefits from these super-performant iPads Pros. Every year we see more and more advanced applications making their way to iPad Pro - with better UI, improved functionality, and delightful experience. These latest updates will only broaden the appeal to developers.

I expect Final Cut Pro and Xcode will be coming soon.

Anything that allows for a richer, smoother, more refined user experience is far from overkill.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dumastudetto Avatar
dumastudetto
65 months ago

Anyone with prior experience with apple preorders care to share how next Friday will work? What time will the preorders start? Will it be limited, where it could potentially sell out within minutes?
The new 12.9" is the best iPad Apple has ever made. Customer demand to acquire one will be off-the-charts. Stock is expected to be extremely constrained for months, so you'll need to be online the moment orders go live if you want a launch day delivery.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
cardfan
65 months ago

The new 12.9" is the best iPad Apple has ever made. Customer demand to acquire one will be off-the-charts. Stock is expected to be extremely constrained for months, so you'll need to be online the moment orders go live if you want a launch day delivery.
As was the prior one. The 2018 and 2020 ones are still overkill for what iPadOS and these apps can do.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments