Apple might have trouble meeting iPhone 12 demand this holiday

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The holiday period is traditionally full of holly, mistletoe, cinnamon-spiced-everything, and strong sales figures for Apple’s iPhone range. It’s no surprise really, with Apple timing its yearly generational upgrades to slot into the biggest purchasing period of the year. But then, this isn’t any normal year, far from it, and Apple might have trouble meeting demand this year, as one of the main components in the iPhone 12 range is in short supply.

That component is the power chip, which manages power consumption in the iPhone, or in pretty much any smartphone. Bloomberg had the scoop, with its sources going on to say that the shortages will likely continue for about half a year, as COVID-19 has slowed production. It might even last longer than that, as the vaccines against the novel coronavirus are still in the very early testing stages.

The power chip in an iPhone 12 (Image: iFixit)

Production difficulties are only part of the overall situation. China’s giant smartphone manufacturer, Huawei, had been stockpiling the chips ahead of the September deadline for U.S. sanctions. Is this overall picture why the iPhone 12 Pro is saying two to three weeks if you order one from Apple directly? The base model iPhone 12 still has ready stock, but that’s the model that Apple always makes more of as it’s the most popular, so likely the stock was made before the supply constraints came into effect.

Apple had an earnings call last week, where CEO Tim Cook used the phrase “constrained today” to describe the current state of iPhone units. He also said it’s hard to predict just when that situation will change, so expect long waits if you decide to buy an iPhone this holiday.

What do you think? Are you planning on snagging a new iPhone? Worried about stock? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.