According to Nikkei, which cited persons familiar with the situation, production of Apple Inc.’s flagship iPhone 13 cellphones fell 20% short of previous plans in September and October.
The company’s busiest quarter is the holiday season, when many customers want to buy its products as gifts weeks before Christmas.
However, a big concern lurks over Apple as it scrambles to keep up with the worldwide processor shortage and supply chain delays after launching the iPhone 13 and new iPads in September.
In October, Apple CEO Tim Cook warned Reuters that the impact of supply chain issues will be worse during the holiday shopping season than in the previous quarter.
According to Nikkei, iPhone and iPad manufacture was delayed for several days in October for the first time in more than a decade due to supply chain difficulties and restrictions on the use of power in China.
The reallocation of shared components squeezed iPad assembly even further in September and October, resulting in around 50% less production volume than projected, according to Nikkei, while output forecasts for older generations of iPhones also dropped around 25%.
According to Bloomberg News, Apple has warned its parts suppliers that demand for the iPhone 13 series has dropped.
