Apple faced several challenges in the development and manufacturing process of the iPhone 12 models in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led the company to launch the new iPhones in two stages. In 2021, the company will be able to launch the iPhone 13 models on regular schedule, says reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
This year, Apple was unable to deliver all new iPhone 12 models at once as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the company’s associated factories around the world and even the internal production of the device at Apple headquarters since most employees are working from their homes.
While the regular iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were announced and launched in stores in October, iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max arrived in stores in November with limited supplies.
Kuo also says he has no concerns about the lower shipping forecast for the A14 chip produced by TSMC in Q2 2021 compared to Q1 2021. The analyst says this decline is “seasonal” and expected as TSMC will begin shifting its production pipeline for developing the new A15 chip that will equip the iPhone 13 lineup.
He claims that iPhone 12 Pro sales remain strong and that demand for this year’s Pro models is better than expected, although Apple has been facing supply issues with the Sony camera sensors used for iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.