iPhone 12 Rumors: Power Management Chips Shortage Compounding Apple Supply Woes

Apple has been known to encounter supply shortages each time a new iPhone comes out in the open. But this time, it appears the problem is for real. And the main reason for that is because the Cupertino company is experiencing a shortage of power management chips that are detrimental to the latest iPhone series.

With the demand for the iPhone 12 clan expected to spike soon, Apple finds itself trying to find answers due to the lack of components for the latest flagship phone. The power management chip is an important piece for the iPhone 12 series, especially since it will now come with more features such as 5G capability and an advanced camera system, Bloomberg reported.

The shortage comes as a surprise considering Apple does have multiple suppliers who can provide the power management chip. Like in the case of the iPhone 12 Pro, a power management chip for the camera system comes from Texas Instruments. STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm provide another chip that is used on the 5G modem. This is aside from the power management chip designed by Apple.

Putting all these together, such has rendered problems for the Cupertino company in supply. With the holidays fast approaching, Apple may find itself failing to meet consumer demand that could severely hamper their forecasted sales for the latest iPhone offering.

The woes of Apple is not limited to the iPhone 12 series. They are also struggling to meet the demands for other products such as the iPad and Apple Watch. Though it was not mentioned, the effects of the coronavirus have likely made life doubly hard for Apple with delays in shipments and some companies not working at full capacity.

Despite these issues, Apple CEO Tim Cook informed investors that they are trying to find ways to address the supply problem. One remedy that they are allegedly taking is using iPad parts to remedy iPhone 12 shortages, the Nikkei Asia Review reported.

The iPhone 12 Pro is seen as the device that will be hit hard. Power chips and LiDAR components are some of the parts that have been affected. To temporarily address the problem, Apple is said to be reallocating components from ‌iPad‌ models to the ‌iPhone 12 Pro‌. The only problem there is that this move has now shifted the problem to the availability of iPad units.