 |
| Apple sales in Asia at risk of a global supply crisis |
According to the latest delivery estimates, Apple will not be able to ship new iPads to consumers in major Asian markets until the end of the year as the US company faces a shortage of supply before the critical sales stage.
Filipino consumers who ordered the space gray 256GB wireless iPad model from Apple's website on Monday will have to wait until Jan. 14 for delivery, which equates to eight weeks.
According to the company's website, consumers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia who ordered the equipment on Monday will continue to receive the equipment after the holiday.
Although the iPhone delivery time is shorter than that of the iPad. But it is still much longer than normal years.
Consumers can usually have an iPhone and an iPad within three to five days. But it's too late for buyers in the Philippines to order the latest iPhone 13 Pro in time for the holidays.
In other major Asian markets including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, the waiting time for the latest iPhone is around 4 weeks.
Apple ships smartphones, tablets, and other products by air. Therefore, delivery time is less affected by heavy congestion in ports around the world.
On the contrary, longer delivery times tend to correlate with production constraints. Although some sources of interference have gradually decreased.
The Asian Christmas shopping season begins on November 11, the Sunshine Festival, and continues until next month. Both periods are popular times for electronics buyers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
While not all Asian shoppers celebrate Christmas, December 25th is a major gift giving occasion to the Philippines and Japan.
The iPad's long standby time reflects Apple's strategy
The iPad's long standby time reflects Apple's priority strategy for the iPhone. The Cupertino-based tech giant is prioritizing common iPhone 13 components and chips over the older iPad and iPhone.
The move resulted in a 50% drop in iPad production compared to plans for September and October. This leads to a decrease in inventory.
Apple generally keeps online store inventory at a level that allows five days from the time of delivery. As a result, demand appears to be strong and stocks are doing well.
But since the product was launched this fall, the company has struggled with production shortages. Apple is facing component restrictions and things could go wrong this quarter. In addition, long charging time will change consumer behavior.
When facing the challenges of the entire industry, Apple is in a better position than its competitors because it has access to a variety of high-priced products, valuable support services, and above all, loyal users.