Apple Expecting iPhone and iPad Supply Constraints in September Quarter

During today's earnings call covering the third fiscal quarter of 2021 (second calendar quarter), Apple CFO Luca Maesteri said that Apple is expecting supply constraints to affect the iPhone and the iPad in the coming quarter.

iphone 13 teal with text
"The supply constraints that we've seen in the June quarter will be higher in the September quarter," said Maestri. The constraints will impact ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ sales in particular.

It is not clear if these predicted supply constraints will affect the iPhone 13 models that are expected to launch in September.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked whether the supply constraints will continue into the holiday quarter, but Cook said that he doesn't want to predict that. "We're going to take it one quarter at a time," he said. "We will do everything we can to mitigate whatever set of circumstances we're dealt." Cook went on to say that the constraints that Apple is seeing are the same constraints that are impacting other companies as well.

The majority of the constraints are of the variety that others are seeing. I would classify it as industry shortage. We do have some shortages in addition to that where the demand has been so great and so beyond our own expectation that it's difficult to get the entire set of parts within the lead times that we try to get those. It's a little bit of that as well. As I said before, the latest nodes, which we use in several of our products, have not been as much of an issue. The legacy nodes are where the supply constraints have been, on silicon.

Cook also said that though Apple is expecting supply constraints, component costs in the aggregate have declined, but Apple is currently paying out more for freight than it would like.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

SirAnthonyHopkins Avatar
35 months ago
September is a month not a quarter.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LFC2020 Avatar
35 months ago

Is this a marketing trick for you to upgrade to get a new iPhone this September?
Yep, same old garbage every year, yet people still get their iPhones on launch day.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
35 months ago
We get this kind of news a lot of the time and people on MR still manage to get their phones.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDevil7334 Avatar
35 months ago

It is not clear if these predicted supply constraints will affect the iPhone 13 models that are expected to launch in September.
I think it’s a pretty safe bet the iPhone 13 will be affected. Seems like they are trying to set expectations…
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kazmac Avatar
35 months ago

Is this a marketing trick for you to upgrade to get a new iPhone this September?

When have we heard Supply is not constrained at lunch... Never.
Sheesh...Apple is constraining supply at lunch now too? Why I am not surprised? ? /s
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
35 months ago
Marketing 101 talk…

Hoping this does not delay September's event. People are waiting what Apple has in store.

Is this a marketing trick for you to upgrade to get a new iPhone this September?

When have we heard Supply is not constrained at the product launch... Never.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...