Apple’s supply chain is facing labor shortages as a result of strong orders from Apple, Digitimes reports. With new MacBooks looming, it is presumed that they are the cause of the mass of orders, and many suppliers are even outsourcing their own production to meet the schedule, according to sources.
Component manufacturing plants in eastern China have been suffering from labor shortages for a long time, and although May and June are the IT industry’s traditional slow season when shortage issues are usually not as significant, the strong orders from Apple’s new MacBook are leaving many upstream makers unable to satisfy demand.
Digitimes also reports that the MacBook supply chain started delivering products in April, with chassis shipments growing considerably in May. It continued saying that component shipments should continue to rise over June for a potential launch in July.
Anything from Digitimes has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but if the reports are true, then it seems that Apple are certainly preparing for a huge launch, something which could suggest brand new features. Ultra thin and Retina display seem to be the main buzzwords, even if CNET claims that the new versions are coming at an increased production cost to Apple.
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