Apple Supplier Foxconn Says Shortages Now Easing

Foxconn, the biggest assembler of iPhones, today announced that the component shortages that have constrained the supply of devices over the past two years are now showing signs of easing, Bloomberg reports.

chinafoxconn
The first quarter of 2022 is said to be experiencing a "major improvement" in parts shortages, and "overall supply constraints" are expected to ease in the second half of the year, a spokesperson for Foxconn commented at a company event earlier today. While TSMC manufactures Apple's custom-designed chips, Apple is still reliant on many industry-standard chips, such as for power management. Display drivers and power management chips have been among the components that have constrained Apple's manufacturing capabilities, and Foxconn added that power management chips remain in short supply.

The announcement is potentially an encouraging sign across the technology manufacturing industry, but TSMC has warned that chip supplies will remain tight throughout 2022. Major suppliers like Foxconn and TSMC are planning to maintain larger inventories in the future to ensure supply security.

Smartphone shipments have slowed over the past two years due to shortages, but supply chain disruption has primarily affected low-end vendors rather than titans such as Apple. Industry analysts believe that bottlenecks will not fully ease until the second half of 2022.

Nikkei Asia reported earlier this month that Apple is struggling to tackle a backlog of iPad orders because it prioritized iPhone 13 shipments instead. The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are also still in short supply around the world.

While supply chain constraints cost Apple $6 billion in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021, the company's supply chain is now firmly in the process of recovering as it prepares for a slate of new product launches this year.

Tag: Foxconn

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further. We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
49 months ago
This is great news. Fingers are crossed this year there won't be any shortages at all. Won’t be happy if there are any delays this year. Last year was no joke.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
siddavis Avatar
49 months ago

All i keep hearing and reading is about the parts supply issue. Does anyone know what the actual issue was? was it lack of raw materials making the parts? lack of labour? or is it a case that there is a supply issue because the companies that make the parts didn't make enough? or that they are just not physically capable of making more to supply everyone that wants them?
It was decided that shutting things down was the best approach to slow the spread of the pandemic. Little discourse was allowed regarding the other consequences. Here we are.

So yes to all of those questions.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WWPD Avatar
49 months ago

Time for a new stock image
What are you talking about? Those two are still discussing what's on that clipboard to this very day.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
49 months ago
I can say this has not affected me at all. My iPhone X is still going strong and I’m not looking at upgrading until 2023 and if it’s still working fine, might push out the upgrade to 2024. My 2017 iPad Pro is also working just fine too and I can’t see when I will be upgrading that either. Bought a M1 MBP back in 2020 so I plan keep that maybe for the next 9 years. You’d be surprised how long some folks keep their MacBooks these days.

I do want a large screen iMac though, but do I really when I could just buy a 27 or 32 inch display? Will think about it more when the 3rd gen of the large screen iMac comes out.

Apple Watch is likely to be the first device I upgrade since I am rocking a Series 3. But if Apple gives it watchOS 9 then hey, another year to save.

Apple products last long and with great software support you really can stretch out those hardware upgrades.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
49 months ago

I suspect it’ll probably be mid third quarter before we finally start seeing some stability with tech/electronics in general. Anything from surround-sounds to even certain smart TVs are still constrained. It probably will be that way, given that certain parts of Asia were hit late with Omicron.
I just want to know when the buy 1 get 1 free sale on new cars will start!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
49 months ago

I just want to know when the buy 1 get 1 free sale on new cars will start!
That’s a really screwed up market too. In my area, used car lots are gone, new car dealerships have zero new inventory and I don’t see that industry settling anytime soon. Part of me actually thinks, The whole ‘car buying’ dynamic has changed where it will probably never be the same again. The used vehicle consumer market is just insane right now with inflation. (Inflation percentages anywhere from ~20% to 25%.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)