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Apple will need to pay more for the chips in its devices and may pass rising costs on to its customers, according to sources speaking to Nikkei Asia. TSMC, Apple's main chip supplier, is in the process of increasing its prices following wider inflation in the industry caused by the global chip supply shortage. The company's planned price rises are said to be the most substantial chip price...

On Tuesday, Nikkei Asia published a report claiming the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 will feature blood pressure measurement capabilities, and that this is one of the reasons why production of the device has hit snags as manufacturers adjust to the more complex design. Later the same day, Bloomberg cited its own sources corroborating Nikkei's main claim that the new model had brought...

Production of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 has been delayed due to the upcoming watch featuring a "complicated design," according to a report by Nikkei Asia. According to the report, Apple suppliers began small-scale production of the watch last week, and during which, employees "encountered critical challenges in reaching satisfactory production performance." Manufacturers of Apple...

Foxconn, one of Apple's largest suppliers, has said it will begin construction of all-electric vehicle plants in the United States and Thailand this year, with hopes of them being operational by 2023, according to a report from Nikkei Asia. From the report: Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics producer, on Thursday said it will build electric vehicle manufacturing facilities...

Apple is tapping more Chinese suppliers as it seeks to meet ambitious targets for iPhone 13 production, according to a new report by Nikkei Asia. Apple is set to produce between 90 million and 95 million iPhones through January, according to a previous Nikkei report, and China's Luxshare Precision Industry has won 3% of orders away from Taiwanese rivals Foxconn and Pegatron. Luxshare will...

The most important TSMC factory that manufactures Apple's chips destined for next-generation iPhone and Mac models has been hit by a gas contamination, according to Nikkei Asia. The factory, known as "Fab 18," is TSMC's most advanced chipmaking facility. TSMC is Apple's sole chip supplier, making all of the processors used in every Apple device with a custom silicon chip. Industry...

Apple chip supplier TSMC is planning to manufacture chips with a 2nm fabrication process by 2024, according to Nikkei Asia. TSMC plans to build a new factory on 50 acres of land for two-nanometer chips in Hsinchu, Taiwan, scheduled to begin manufacturing operations in 2024. Construction has been cleared to begin in early 2022, with equipment being installed in 2023. For context, if Apple...

Mass production of the third-generation AirPods will kick off in August, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. They will reportedly join a number of other products such as the iPhone 13 lineup and redesigned MacBook Pro models as launches coming before the end of the year. Renderings of rumored third-generation ‌AirPods‌ design Rumored launch dates for the third-generation ‌AirPods‌...

The next version of Apple's budget iPhone SE could arrive in the first half of 2022 and look very similar to the current design that's based on the iPhone 8, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. The main upgrades in the new model will be Apple's A15 chip that will appear first in the 2021 flagship iPhone 13 lineup, as well as 5G support provided by Qualcomm's X60 modem chip. Just...

Apple is cutting production of its ultra-popular AirPods by around 25% to 30% due to a decrease in sales as a result of increased competition in the wireless earphone industry, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. According to the report, citing sources familiar with Apple's production plans, the tech giant now plans to produce only roughly 75 to 85 million units of AirPods for the...

Apple's custom next-generation Mac processor entered mass production this month, claims a new report today from Nikkei Asia. Tentatively dubbed the "M2" after Apple's M1 chip, the processors take at least three months to produce and could begin shipping as early as July in time for incorporation in Apple's next line of MacBooks, according to the paper's sources. The next generation of Mac...

Apple is facing a global shortage of certain components for some of its MacBook and iPad models, causing the Cupertino tech giant and its suppliers to postpone production of the products, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. According to the report, MacBook production is being hindered due to the shortage of chips mounted onto the circuit board before final assembly, which is a key...

Apple is planning redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by Apple silicon for release in the second half of 2021, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and a Nikkei Asia report today lends credence to that timeframe. In a report focused on Apple slashing iPhone 12 orders from suppliers, the publication briefly noted that Apple has pushed back mass production of the two new...

Multiple rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a refreshed version of the Apple TV, and a report today by Nikkei Asia Review adds to speculation that Apple will release a new version of its set-top box next year. Cites sources familiar with Apple's plans, Nikkei's ‌Apple TV‌ mention appears in a broader report about Apple's 2021 production plans. Apple is also preparing an...

Amid long waiting times for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro around the world, Apple has reportedly placed large orders for older iPhone models and is reallocating iPad parts to make up for shortages, according to Nikkei Asia Review. Demand for ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌ in particular has been higher than expected, and the issue has reportedly been compounded by supply constraints for specific parts...

Apple is intending to produce 2.5 million MacBooks with Apple Silicon processors by February 2021, according to a new report by Nikkei Asian Review. The initial production orders for the first MacBooks with ‌Apple Silicon‌ are reportedly equivalent to almost 20 percent of all 12.6 million MacBook shipments in 2019. Nikkei Asia's sources stated that the ‌Apple Silicon‌ chips within the...

Apple will begin mass producing the iPhone 12 on a limited scale later this month and on into early October, according to a report today from Nikkei Asian Review. Of the four 5G devices Apple is expected to launch this year, production will reportedly begin with the more affordable 6.1-inch OLED model with dual-lens camera, which accounts for around 40% of Apple's production orders for its ‌i...

Apple is expected to launch an all-OLED iPhone lineup this year, and while Samsung is understood to be providing the majority of the OLED panels, LG Display is reportedly poised to benefit the most from the extra demand, with Samsung's order volume rising only slightly on previous years. Of the four new models coming this year, rumors have indicated that Samsung will supply the displays for...

Apple's "iPhone 12" lineup is facing mass production delays of between four weeks and two months because of postponements caused by factory lockdowns and workplace absences during the global health crisis, according to a new report from Nikkei Asian Review. "What the progress looks like now is months of delay in terms of mass production, but Apple is doing everything it can to shorten the...

Apple's plan to release an updated version of AirPods later this year has been delayed due to the global health crisis, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. This lines up with a recent report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that mass production of third-generation AirPods will begin in the first half of 2021, followed by mass production of second-generation AirPods Pro between the...