全球芯片短缺終于波及到了蘋果
AARON PRESSMAN
2021-04-09
硅片短缺似乎終于沖擊到全球最大的芯片消費帝國之一：蘋果。
芯片供應緊張的影響已從汽車領域蔓延到游戲機和電視機等一系列產品，iPhone制造商蘋果也一直在努力克服困難。但周四日經亞洲一份報告警告稱，由于芯片和顯示組件供應緊張，盡管沒影響到iphone，蘋果還是被迫推遲部分筆記本電腦和iPad生產。
之所以出現短缺，主要因為去年汽車制造商和其他一些行業預計疫情將打擊產品需求，所以大幅削減了芯片訂單。然而很多行業的衰退并不如預期劇烈，反而筆記本電腦、網絡攝像頭和其他使用芯片的科技設備相當熱銷。全球供應鏈網絡也因此承壓，因為只有英特爾、臺積電和三星等少數幾家公司有能力制造最先進的芯片。
蘋果為ipad、iphone和一些Mac電腦自行設計了芯片，但需要臺積電生產。其產品則使用了來自眾多制造商的數十種芯片，主要用于Wi-Fi、5G連接和電池電源管理等功能。
蘋果拒絕就該報道向日經發表評論，《財富》雜志聯系該公司置評，收到回復后將更新本報道。
2021年蘋果股票曾下跌4%，但在后來交易中上漲了1%。分析師預計蘋果一季度收入將達到768億美元。4月28日蘋果將公布業績。
1月在上一季度財報電話中，蘋果首席執行官蒂姆·庫克并未直接提及全球芯片制造危機，不過首席財務官盧卡·梅斯特里表示，“供應存在一定程度的緊張”，所以兩款手機型號的需求沒能跟上。無論全球芯片短缺情況如何，新款iPhone上市后幾個季度里蘋果都要直面該問題。
高通公司是iPhone芯片的主要供應商，1月財報電話會議上曾多次提及芯片供應存在問題。“該行業受到各種限制因素，需求大大超過供給，”首席財務官阿卡什·帕爾希瓦拉表示。“我之前說過，全行業的供應鏈承壓現象很普遍，并不只是手機，”高通公司新任首席執行官克里斯蒂亞諾?阿蒙補充說。(財富中文網）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
硅片短缺似乎終于沖擊到全球最大的芯片消費帝國之一：蘋果。
芯片供應緊張的影響已從汽車領域蔓延到游戲機和電視機等一系列產品，iPhone制造商蘋果也一直在努力克服困難。但周四日經亞洲一份報告警告稱，由于芯片和顯示組件供應緊張，盡管沒影響到iphone，蘋果還是被迫推遲部分筆記本電腦和iPad生產。
之所以出現短缺，主要因為去年汽車制造商和其他一些行業預計疫情將打擊產品需求，所以大幅削減了芯片訂單。然而很多行業的衰退并不如預期劇烈，反而筆記本電腦、網絡攝像頭和其他使用芯片的科技設備相當熱銷。全球供應鏈網絡也因此承壓，因為只有英特爾、臺積電和三星等少數幾家公司有能力制造最先進的芯片。
蘋果為ipad、iphone和一些Mac電腦自行設計了芯片，但需要臺積電生產。其產品則使用了來自眾多制造商的數十種芯片，主要用于Wi-Fi、5G連接和電池電源管理等功能。
蘋果拒絕就該報道向日經發表評論，《財富》雜志聯系該公司置評，收到回復后將更新本報道。
2021年蘋果股票曾下跌4%，但在后來交易中上漲了1%。分析師預計蘋果一季度收入將達到768億美元。4月28日蘋果將公布業績。
1月在上一季度財報電話中，蘋果首席執行官蒂姆·庫克并未直接提及全球芯片制造危機，不過首席財務官盧卡·梅斯特里表示，“供應存在一定程度的緊張”，所以兩款手機型號的需求沒能跟上。無論全球芯片短缺情況如何，新款iPhone上市后幾個季度里蘋果都要直面該問題。
高通公司是iPhone芯片的主要供應商，1月財報電話會議上曾多次提及芯片供應存在問題。“該行業受到各種限制因素，需求大大超過供給，”首席財務官阿卡什·帕爾希瓦拉表示。“我之前說過，全行業的供應鏈承壓現象很普遍，并不只是手機，”高通公司新任首席執行官克里斯蒂亞諾?阿蒙補充說。(財富中文網）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
The shortage of silicon chips finally seems to be squeezing one of the world’s biggest spenders on chips: Apple.
The iPhone maker had been sailing above the supply constraints that have impacted manufacturing across a wide range of products, from cars to video-game consoles to TV sets. But a report on Thursday from Nikkei Asia warned that Apple was forced to postpone manufacturing some laptops and iPad tablets, though not iPhones, owing to tight supplies of chip and display components.
The global chip shortage came about after carmakers and some other industries last year slashed orders for microprocessors, anticipating that the pandemic would hit demand for their products. But the economic downturn was not as steep as expected in many sectors and actually ignited a boom in sales of laptops, web cameras, and other tech gear laden with chips. That put a pinch on the global supply chain network, as only a few companies like Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), and Samsung can produce the most advanced chips.
Apple designs its own chips for iPads, iPhones, and some Mac computers but relies on TSMC to produce the chips. Its products also use dozens of chips from a wide array of manufacturers for added functions like Wi-Fi, 5G connectivity, and battery power management.
Apple declined to comment to Nikkei about the report. Fortune reached out to the company for comment and will update this story if a response is received.
Shares of Apple’s stock, which had previously lost 4% in 2021, were up 1% in midday trading. Analysts are anticipating that Apple brought in $76.8 billion in revenue in the first quarter. The company reports its results on April 28.
Apple CEO Tim Cook made no direct reference to the global chip manufacturing crisis in January during Apple’s last quarterly earnings call, though CFO Luca Maestri said that the company hadn’t kept up with demand for two phone models owing to “some level of supply constraints.” That has been a common issue for Apple in quarters when new iPhones go on sale, regardless of the global chip shortage.
Qualcomm, a key supplier of iPhone chips, repeatedly cited chip supply problems as an issue on its January earnings call, however. “We are seeing demand significantly outpacing supply given the constraints affecting the industry,” CFO Akash Palkhiwala said. “The supply chain situation, I said earlier, has been broad across the industry, is not unique to handset,” new Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon added.
