While launching the iPhone 13 series in India, Apple announced that the deliveries of its four models – iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, and iPhone Mini – will begin from 24 September.
However, Apple has already pushed back the delivery date by up to five to six weeks from the promised launch date. The delay is in place for all models except the iPhone 13 Mini.
This means customers will now have wait as long as 40 days to get the brand new iPhone in hand.
But... Why the Delay?
Industry analysts have informed that the delay might be caused due to heavy demand of the latest models, and also the ongoing global chip shortage which has affected the production of popular devices including PlayStation 5, Samsung Galaxy Fold – iPhone 13 being the latest to join the club.
Another major reason for the delay is the unexpectedly heavy demand for the more-expensive Pro variants of the iPhone.
Additionally, ongoing demand for previous models, such as iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE, is only making matters worse.
It is worth noting that the major production plant for iPhone 13 is located in Vietnam, but the country is facing an alarming number of COVID-19 cases since April 2021.
IT hubs in the country, such as Ho Chi Minh City and nearby industrial provinces, are the worst affected, thereby slacking the production of iPhone flagship devices.
Meanwhile, Apple’s selling partners for iPhone 13 in the US such as Verizon Communications Inc and Best Buy have also notified of the delays after pre-ordering began in September.
A report by Reuters said that analysts are now warning that consumers might face the longest waiting times for iPhone devices.
What's Apple Saying?
Apple's CEO Tim Cook had already warned that the global chip shortage has affected the production of its Mac computers and iPads but now it seems that the chip shortage has started to afflict its flagship iPhone devices as well.
During an investor call in July, Cook revealed that the chips affected by the shortages are made with older technology, but they’re still necessary as supporting parts to manufacture the iPhone.
Cook, in a statement said, "We do have some shortages, the demand has been so great and so beyond our own expectation that it's difficult to get the entire set of parts within the lead times that we try to get those."
Samsung and Sony Continue to Face Wrath of Chip Shortage
While Apple has only recently started to feel the effects of the global chip shortage, several other players in the industry have been coping with the issue for several months.
The Galaxy S21 is known to use the same AP from Qualcomm as what is used in the premium foldable phones, owing to the global chip shortage.
Meanwhile, Sony's PlayStation 5 will also continue to remain in short supply for a few more months due to the chip shortage, and Samsung has reportedly cancelled the launch of its next-generation Galaxy Note smartphone due to the same issue.
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