As the Holiday season is approaching nearer, Apple’s delivery dates for iPads and iPhone 13 models are slipping in January in key Asia markets. Nikkie Asia reports that due to severe supply constraints, Apple will not be able to deliver new iPads to customers in Asia for Christmas.
The ongoing chip shortage is expected to prevail till mid-2022 which is likely to have an acute impact on Apple’s holiday sales quarter. In 2021, Apple achieved a super-upgrade cycle with the launch of new models across most products lineup: iPhone 13, iPad 9, iPad mini, Apple Watch Series 7, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, M1 iMac, HomePod mini, and even the new Polishing Cloth accessory. Bloomberg estimated the Cupertino tech giant to earn up to $120 billion in revenue in the holiday season but this might be marred by supply constraints.
Apple’s delivery dates of iPhone 13 and iPad models slip into January 2022 in Asia
As per the report, the iPad delivery date in the Philippines is January 14, 2022, and consumers in other countries will receive their devices after Christmas.
Consumers in the Philippines who order one of the most popular iPad models (Space Grey with 256 GB and WiFi) on Apple’s website on Monday will have to wait until Jan. 14 for delivery — an eight-week wait. Consumers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia ordering on Monday would also receive their devices after Christmas, according to Apple’s website.
Earlier, it was reported that Apple is prioritizing iPhone 13 production and has cut iPad production by 50%. Maybe that is the reason for the over four-week delivery wait for the tablets. Having said that, the report also notes the iPhones’ delivery dates are also longer than usual this year.
Delivery times for the iPhone are shorter than for iPads but still far longer than in a typical year. Normally, consumers are able to receive their iPhones and iPads in three to five days. But it is already too late for shoppers in the Philippines to order the latest iPhone 13 Pro in time for Christmas. In other key Asian markets, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, the waiting time for the latest iPhone is about four weeks.
At the Q4, 2021 earning call, Apple CEO Tim Cook also hinted at over $6 billion loss in revenue due to chip shortage and high demand. However, to encourage consumers to start shopping earlier, the company kicked started its holiday season a few weeks before usual.
