Bloomberg: iPhone 12 series faces power management chip shortage

According to Bloomberg, people familiar with the matter revealed that Apple is working to solve a shortage of power management chips, which may threaten its ability to ship iPhones.

People familiar with the matter said trade restrictions and supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus were largely responsible for the shortages. Huawei had stockpiled components because of U.S. sanctions, leaving fewer for other buyers. Inventory issues have exacerbated lingering problems in a global electronics industry that is still recovering from periodic shutdowns that shut down shipping routes and idled factory workers earlier this year. Supply disruptions are expected to continue for the next two quarters, people familiar with the matter said.

The power management of iPhone 12 is more important than previous generations of iPhones, and the newly added 5G function increases the power consumption burden. Analysts expect that consumer demand for new products released this year will be very strong, and Apple CEO Cook has previously admitted that there is a supply shortage problem for all products this year.

iFixit's disassembly shows that Apple has multiple suppliers of power management chips. The iPhone 12 Pro uses chips from Texas Instruments to control the power of the camera system, as well as chips from STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm. In addition, Apple also has its own power management chips. In 2018, Apple acquired Dialog Semiconductor's technology and other assets for $600 million to manufacture its own power management chips.