Nikkei

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 have...

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...

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...

iPad stocks are reportedly running low in China because parents are buying them to help with e-learning at home in response to school closures relating to the coronavirus outbreak. Nikkei Asian Review today reports that labor shortages have also seen suppliers struggle to meet production demands, amid government-imposed restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. "Later the...

Ongoing delays from the coronavirus outbreak in China will likely cause Apple to miss its schedule for mass producing the low-cost iPhone, and inventories of existing models could remain low until April or longer, according to new information shared today by Japanese site Nikkei. ‌iPhone‌ suppliers, on average, are said to be operating at 30 to 50 percent capacity at the current time, and to...

Following a recent Bloomberg report claiming that the new AirPods Pro are experiencing "much higher" than expected demand, the Nikkei Asian Review reports that Apple has asked its supplier Luxshare Precision to double production of the high-end earphones to two million units per month. The report adds that Apple has also asked Luxshare and fellow Chinese manufacturer Goertek to boost...

Apple's 2020 iPhones will all use Qualcomm's newest and fastest 5G-capable modem chip, claims a new report out of Asia today. Apple is expected to launch three iPhones next year in 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch sizes. According to Nikkei Asian Review, all three will carry the 5G modem chip designed by Qualcomm called the X55. All three of the new iPhones will carry the most advanced 5G ...

Apple has asked suppliers to increase production of its new iPhone 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro lineup by up to 10 percent, according to Nikkei Asian Review. The bump in production would add up to 8 million units to the current production plans as Apple seeks to meet stronger-than-expected demand. "This autumn is so far much busier than we expected," one source with direct knowledge of the situation ...