Surging iPhone 13 demand has Apple suppliers prioritizing the company over its competitors

[nanoguy]

In brief: The launch of the iPhone 13 lineup appears to be a resounding success for Apple, with people rushing to upgrade to the latest models. In fact, demand is so high that suppliers are now prioritizing the production of iPhone components over those needed for smartphones from other vendors.

There's a lot to like about the recently launched iPhone 13 lineup. The two mainstream models come with a mature exterior design, smaller display notch, 5G connectivity, more storage, more battery life, and better graphics performance thanks to the A15 Bionic chipset. The Pro variants include 120 Hz displays and a much-improved camera system, making them the best in terms of what Apple has to offer in an iPhone form factor.

All iPhone 13 models have received positive reviews, and many people that pre-ordered them in the US and Europe will have to wait several weeks before they'll receive their deliveries. The strong demand in the US is not unexpected, as carriers are engaged in a fierce competition to drive iPhone 13 sales with aggressive deals.

Hundreds of people were seen running into a shopping mall in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province to buy the new iPhone. pic.twitter.com/coBPsTrQ1A

— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) September 27, 2021

According to a DigiTimes report, the same situation has manifested in China and Taiwan, with consumers rushing to buy the new iPhones and creating stampedes in shopping malls. The demand is so high that Apple's Taiwanese suppliers are scrambling to make more voice coil motors, camera modules, and other components needed for the iPhone 13 lineup -- to the point where they are prioritizing these parts over those intended for competitors like Samsung, Oppo, and Vivo.

Analysts say that Samsung's third-quarter sales fell short of initial estimates, and Chinese phone makers hold more than enough inventory of components to last them through the next month. As for the iPhone 13, the long delivery times are apparently less due to component shortages and more as a result of high demand.

Earlier this year, Apple reportedly placed 119 million orders for iPhone 13 screens, which are being made by Samsung, LG Display, and Chinese manufacturer BOE. The company wants to make 90 million iPhone 13 units by the end of the year, which would be 20 percent higher than iPhone 12 series production output over the same period of last year.

If there is a company that has been able to navigate the ongoing chip and component shortages largely unaffected, it's Apple. Many of its Chinese suppliers now have to contend with energy use restrictions, but they seem determined to make the most of the current surge in iPhone demand.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91480-surging-iphone-13-demand-has-apple-suppliers-prioritizing.html

 

[Sausagemeat]

This is just a bait article designed to trigger the Apple haters. Of course any company would prioritise its best customer.

I’m not surprised at the popularity of the iPhone. There are currently no premium alternatives. Except Samsung and their devices have more in common with budget Android devices than iPhones.

 

[R00sT3R]

"This is just a bait article designed to trigger the Apple haters"

I don't hate Apple products, but I do hate the smug, pretentious tossers that buy them.

 

[dangh]

So it is kinda definition of a monopoly...

 

[DZillaXx]

This is just a bait article designed to trigger the Apple haters. Of course any company would prioritise its best customer.

I’m not surprised at the popularity of the iPhone. There are currently no premium alternatives. Except Samsung and their devices have more in common with budget Android devices than iPhones.

How is the iPhone any more premium than any other Flagship android phone?

Look and feel there are a few Android devices that look and feel better... If anything Apple has always had that Premium budget feel, like they used cheaper to buy materials but made it feel great in the hands. But you know they are making a killing on it.

I will agree that Samsung's version of Android does a lot wrong, and brands like Google and OnePlus simply do it better. But you also have things Samsung is slowing doing right, like the ZFold. Just can't wait for a Pixel Fold.

But other than SOC, iPhone devices have always been behind. Only recently have their Camera's been at same level as top Flagship android devices, their Battery's have only just gotten as good as Flagship android devices, they finally are starting to get high refresh displays, etc.

Oneplus Phones had high refresh displays and great battery well before iPhones, Pixel phones have had better Cameras, Samsung phones have always had better power user stuff with the likes of s-pen with the note. Sadly could never get that one Android device that did it all. If only Google would stepup their Pixel line, in many ways Oneplus just does it better.

Apple has a better SOC, but considering that a SOC from 4 years ago can do normal day to day tasks perceivably just as quickly, its not a big deal. I don't know many people that play heavy graphical games on a phone, or does video rendering. The only thing people even notice these days is the higher refresh screen, battery life, and camera.

Apple does a great job giving users a good balanced product. Even on entry level devices like the SE.

 

[McMurdeR]

I've always thought Apple's high end phones were bad value for money, but there must be 90 million people out there who clearly disagree with me!

I held one in my hands the other day. I like the design myself, but its some amount of money for a device that does stuff slightly better than the one you've already got in your pocket.

 

[Sausagemeat]

How is the iPhone any more premium than any other Flagship android phone?

Look and feel there are a few Android devices that look and feel better... If anything Apple has always had that Premium budget feel, like they used cheaper to buy materials but made it feel great in the hands. But you know they are making a killing on it.

I will agree that Samsung's version of Android does a lot wrong, and brands like Google and OnePlus simply do it better. But you also have things Samsung is slowing doing right, like the ZFold. Just can't wait for a Pixel Fold.

But other than SOC, iPhone devices have always been behind. Only recently have their Camera's been at same level as top Flagship android devices, their Battery's have only just gotten as good as Flagship android devices, they finally are starting to get high refresh displays, etc.

Oneplus Phones had high refresh displays and great battery well before iPhones, Pixel phones have had better Cameras, Samsung phones have always had better power user stuff with the likes of s-pen with the note. Sadly could never get that one Android device that did it all. If only Google would stepup their Pixel line, in many ways Oneplus just does it better.

Apple has a better SOC, but considering that a SOC from 4 years ago can do normal day to day tasks perceivably just as quickly, its not a big deal. I don't know many people that play heavy graphical games on a phone, or does video rendering. The only thing people even notice these days is the higher refresh screen, battery life, and camera.

Apple does a great job giving users a good balanced product. Even on entry level devices like the SE.

iPhones are Faster, better built, supported for much longer, much easier to use and much more secure than any competitor. Android devices are firmly behind iOS devices save for a few gimmicky features, which usually find a better home when they eventually arrive on iOS. iPhones also carry amazing resale value. My iPhone 11 pro max has only lost half its value in 2 years, making it actually cheaper than its competitor in a way.

Oneplus is imo the best Android smartphone manufacturer, however they increase their prices every year and thats edging them out. There isn’t much a $200 xiaomi phone cant do that almost any other Android device can do. That’s the thing with Android, it’s defined by the fact that it has to run on anything and no manufacturer cares about users who bought their devices 2-3 years earlier as there is no updates.

As for the SOC, I know that Apples image processing requires lots of power. You would t get all these pro res features without it. Just like how any Apple phone does 4K HDR video, this is actually 4K 120fps video with the way Apple do it and when that dropped a few years ago no Android phone could do above 4K 60 at the time due to processing limitations.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

I don't understand this article. I don't know of one single person that's shown any interest in the iPhone 13. I didn't even know the new iPhone was out yet.

I have a couple of people I work with and family members that have grown to dislike their iPhones and have been looking at getting something with android when they decide to get a new phone.

Whatever works for folks, I guess. Do the apple thing or not. Whatever.

 

[Porkous]

They do worth more now because of Samsung's OLED. It is interesting how every component, is someone's best component brought in this one device. All it remains is for Samsung to give up their 100x zoom camera

 

[DZillaXx]

iPhones are Faster, better built, supported for much longer, much easier to use and much more secure than any competitor. Android devices are firmly behind iOS devices save for a few gimmicky features, which usually find a better home when they eventually arrive on iOS. iPhones also carry amazing resale value. My iPhone 11 pro max has only lost half its value in 2 years, making it actually cheaper than its competitor in a way.

Oneplus is imo the best Android smartphone manufacturer, however they increase their prices every year and thats edging them out. There isn’t much a $200 xiaomi phone cant do that almost any other Android device can do. That’s the thing with Android, it’s defined by the fact that it has to run on anything and no manufacturer cares about users who bought their devices 2-3 years earlier as there is no updates.

As for the SOC, I know that Apples image processing requires lots of power. You would t get all these pro res features without it. Just like how any Apple phone does 4K HDR video, this is actually 4K 120fps video with the way Apple do it and when that dropped a few years ago no Android phone could do above 4K 60 at the time due to processing limitations.

iPhones are Faster, hardware wise. But like I said before perceived speed is different. Once you have enough CPU power and fast storage, the feeling of quickness doesn't really change even if you do get newer hardware. Which is why for day to day usage a 5 year old i5 can feel just as quick as a modern i9 with a quick ssd behind them. Like I said most use cases are pretty low in hardware requirements.

iPhones are by far supported longer, though google does a good job with pixel phones.

What is not true is security. iPhones are pretty limited in terms of security, and while the system was setup to be locked down. Security settings for the most part are kept out of users hands. iOS has little to no integration into Endpoint Security platforms, with only basic MDM control. Android's issue is not security, it is default security options. You pretty much have to lock stuff down yourself. But the system itself in default state is pretty secure. Apps are allowed to ask for permissions and those said permission may be more than what the app really needs or even wants access in the background. These are all settings users can configure, and have been for a long time now. Security on Android is so fine tunable that it is crazy to think iOS doesn't allow for such things as well. You can lock Android down way more than you can lock iOS down, and that is fact. Hell you can gut Google out from Android completely, but why is the real question.

Apple "Prioritizes" user data security, is nothing more than marketing.

iPhone SE will do nearly everything a $1000 iPhone will do. Same goes for android. Only top end flagship android devices have image stabilization, and every fancy sensor. Pixel Phones always took better picture than iPhones, even with all the post processing iPhones do. Video has always been back and forth between iOS and Android devices. But I will say there rarely has been one android device that just did everything better.

Android still by far has the better UI, and iOS will continue to make their UI more like android. Hence the pull down menu, new app drawer, widgets on the desktop, etc. Now if iOS would fix their crappy setting menus and allow for better integration into a corporate environment. iCloud still is a crappy cloud service compared to google when you leave the iOS ecosystem.

iPhones are still not better built devices. Nearly every Samsung Flagship in the last half decade not only was built better, but felt better in the hands

 

[sac39507]

A surge in such expensive products mean either everyone is doing very well and the reports from the mainstream media that the economy is poor is bogus or everyone is stupid and living beyond their means. Dave Ramsey is right. Humans are not very smart when they live by the YOLO creed.

 

[DZillaXx]

A surge in such expensive products mean either everyone is doing very well and the reports from the mainstream media that the economy is poor is bogus or everyone is stupid and living beyond their means. Dave Ramsey is right. Humans are not very smart when they live by the YOLO creed.

The Economy is doing just fine.

Problem is people in low wage jobs have been getting large pay boosts over the last 1-2 years. Where nearly any job is offering $14hr+. You have people that simply don't want to go back to those old **** jobs, and this is what the media focuses on.

On the other hand you have younger folk that don't know any better now making $14hr+ with benefits when before they'd be lucky to make $10. Lot of places will start people off at 18hr for more labor focuses jobs. It allows for a lot of cash flow. This tricks younger folk into classic debt traps.

On the other hand you have people making 70K+ and those jobs never stopped with covid. Money wasn't used much with everything shut down, and with 2-3 kids at home they are now getting $750 extra a month ATM.

The people that are actually struggling are mainly those that either dont want to go back to work, or they are having a hard time finding new work that paid what they got before or more. As with many mid level management positions just don't exist anymore. Also just like in 2008, older folk nearing retirement have been forced to either retire early or find new work at jobs that pay much less. As no one wants to hire a high wage old timer when young cheap labor is prime for the picking.

What we get is a bunch of **** jobs are left unfilled. Pretty much all Food Service, Resale, Hospitality, Basic distribution jobs, etc all all crappy jobs people dont want to go back to. They will slowly get filled back up and slowly things will go back to normal.

Some people will be better off with less debt. Others, many more, will be so debt heavy they will only have to keep slaving away. Unlike in 2008 they are not going house poor with shitty loans, but they are going CC Poor, along with other many month contract obligations. What that new iPhone 13? 36 monthly payment, CHEAP CHEAP!! Want that New Car, Sign Here and Pay over 72-84 months. You're young, you can afford it.

Sadly it all adds up, and people become slaves to monthly payment that they can handle but doesn't allow for personal growth. They end each month with little to save, Their CC payments may only cover minimum payment on a 22-28%APR CC. They will pay on it for over 10years and spend 2-4x+ their original loan amount.

Companies like Apple could care less that they are pushing a digital drug onto people. They are not the ones making the deals, they shouldnt be the ones to blame.... It's like saying I only grow the drugs, I don't use or distribute to end users. Apple gladly takes advantage of gaming addiction on their store front.