Apple CEO Tim Cook Warns Chip Shortage Could Affect Its iPad, Mac Supply

Apple CEO Tim Cook warned that the ongoing global chip shortage could squeeze its supply of M1-powered products, like the new iPad Pro and iMac 2021, later this year.

“The shortages primarily affect ‌iPad‌ and Mac,” Cook told analysts, according to the BBC. “We have a good handle on our demand – but what everybody else is doing, I don’t know.”

Earlier this month, it was reported that Apple delayed its production for the Macbook and iPad, pushing back a portion of its component order for the two products from the first half of the year to the second half.

Cook said the company would do its best to confront these shortages, but added that it would be “very, very difficult” to predict when they would end.

Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC, which makes chips for Apple, warned that the chip shortage might last into 2022, with an easing only happening in 2023. The company is spending an extraordinary US$100 billion (~RM413.8 billion) over the next three years to boost the chip-making capacity of its plants.

Foxconn, which also counts Apple as a client, sees the shortage running well into the second quarter of next year. So there’s at least some agreement on the time frame.

As we’ve noted before, a global chip shortage is currently strangling the supply of everything from cars and smartphones to graphic cards and gaming consoles. Largely caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage has been notably worsened by rising trade and political tensions between the US and China.

Analysts: Ongoing Semiconductor Shortage Could Still Affect Sony PlayStation 5 Supply

As more Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) supplies slowly and steadily make their way into the hands of consumers, the company’s gaming chief also assured gamers that it will be able to produce a “decent number” of the console during the second half of 2021. However, some industry analysts are seeing signs to the contrary.

Several analysts point out that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding lockdowns have been a source of pain and grief to the production chain of many semiconductor producers and brands. This also includes brands within the automotive and smartphone industry.

Sony, however, seems to be feeling optimistic about the future sales of the PS5. Jim Ryan, president and chief executive officer for Sony Interactive Entertainment, expects the current supply limitation for the consoles to get better throughout the year. However, Ryan fell short of providing a guarantee that Sony would have enough PS5 in stock to meet this year’s holiday sales season.

Since its launch last year, Sony sold a total of 4.5 million PS5s in November and December, and has plans to outperform the sales figure of its predecessor, the PS4. Of which it sold 14.9 million units in the first 12 months of its existence.

By comparison, Nintendo sold 26 million units of its Switch console during the whole of 2020, while Microsoft sold just 2.8 million Xbox Series X and Series S consoles within the same November and December time frame last year. It also doesn’t help that demand for the PS5 is still running high and even worse, it’s a factor with no end in sight.

On another note, Sony recently announced that a 2nd generation PSVR headset was in the works, although unsurprisingly, the announcement was lacking a great deal of detail.

MOH In Talks With Pfizer To Obtain Additional 30-Percent Of Vaccine Supply

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is in talks with Pfizer in hopes to secure another 30% of its Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine supply, according to Bernama. This isn’t the first time the government has approached the pharmaceutical company for this purpose, as it has previously done so back in November last year and recently in January 2021.

Initially, the government had originally purchased a total of 12.8 million vaccine doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in November and would later add another 12.2 million in January – bringing the total number of dosages to 25 million, allowing for the vaccination of 39% of the Malaysian population. According to Bernama, MOH minister Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba says the additional amount would cover 50% of the Malaysian population, should the new deal pull through.

As previously reported, the first phase of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Plan Programme aims to vaccinate 500,000 frontliners and is scheduled to last until April. Phase two will take place from April to August 2021, and is expected to cover 9.4 million people in high-risk groups such as the elderly who are aged 60 years old above, as well as those with chronic diseases and the disabled community. The third phase will then focus on the rest of the Malaysian population, which will commence from May to February 2022.

On a related note, those interested to sign up for the vaccination programme are able to do so via MySejahtera. In addition, the mobile application is also planned to receive an update in the near future to include a function that will remind users to get their second dose of the vaccine.