Here’s one negative takeaway from Apple’s otherwise stellar earnings report: New iPhones and iPads might be hard to obtain this fall.
This is according to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri, who spoke about the issue during the earnings call (via MacRumors).
“We expect supply constraints during the September quarter to be greater than what we experienced during the June quarter. The constraints will primarily impact iPhone and iPad,” Maestri said.
It’s hard to quantify that. Apple does say that it expects “very strong double digit growth” in the fourth quarter, so it can’t be that bad. But it’s quite possible that some of the most desired colors and configurations of iPhones and iPad will be a bit harder to get this fall.
Apple isn’t the only company experiencing supply constraints; a global chip shortage has been affecting basically every tech company out there, from Tesla to Microsoft. And while the situation will likely get better in the auto industry soon, there are indications that smartphones will suffer next.
As for the rest of Apple’s Q3 financial results, they’re pretty great. Apple reported record June quarter revenue of $81.4 billion, a 36 percent year-over-year increase, with revenues being up in double-digits across all product categories.
As for the upcoming products, Apple is expected to launch four new iPhones, which will be fairly similar in design to the current iPhone 12 lineup. Rumored new features include a smaller notch, an always-on display, a bigger battery, and a 1TB storage option. Apple is also expected to launch new iPads this fall, including a redesigned iPad mini.
