Amid long waiting times for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro around the world, Apple has reportedly placed large orders for older iPhone models and is reallocating iPad parts to make up for shortages, according to Nikkei Asia Review.
Demand for iPhone 12 Pro in particular has been higher than expected, and the issue has reportedly been compounded by supply constraints for specific parts such as power chips and LiDAR components.
Apple is said to be reallocating components from iPad models to the iPhone 12 Pro in an effort to prioritize supply shortages, according to two sources of Nikkei Asia. This has ostensibly affected around two million iPad units, scuppering Apple's iPad production plans for this year.
To "fill empty space on shelves," Apple is apparently also asking suppliers to prepare more than 20 million iPhone 11, iPhone SE, and iPhone XR models for the holiday shopping season and early next year.
The order is equivalent to more than a quarter of the orders Apple placed for the iPhone 12 series this year, which is speculated to be around 75 to 80 million units. Nikkei Asia claims that the orders for the iPhone 11 and the iPhone SE are close to around ten million units each and faring much better than expected with consumers.
