Apple MacBook Pro laptop shipments delayed as China’s lockdowns slow production
Apple Inc. shoppers are facing longer wait times for the company’s flagship MacBook Pro laptops, a sign that Covid-19 lockdowns in China may be contributing to delays.
U.S. consumers trying to order Apple’s latest high-end models are now seeing delivery estimates pushed into June. And the date range for the lower-end configuration of the 14-inch MacBook Pro was as late as May 26 as of Wednesday. Those wait times represent a jump from recent days, before supply chain snags worsened again.
The delays underscore Apple’s struggles to keep its supply chain running smoothly during the Covid era -- especially as China pursues a zero-tolerance policy for outbreaks. More than 30 Taiwanese companies, including Apple laptop manufacturer Quanta Computer Inc., have halted production in China because of lockdowns. In Quanta’s case, the company shut a Shanghai plant to comply with government restrictions.
Apple, based in Cupertino, California, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple’s highest-end MacBook Pro configuration -- a $3,499 version with additional graphics cores and memory -- is seeing delivery estimates as late as June 16 in the U.S. Most of Apple’s other Macs, including the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini, aren’t currently affected. Those models are either shipping with same-day delivery or promising an arrival within a few days.
Delivery estimates for the Mac Pro, which often takes longer to ship because of its customized features, are in May. And the new Mac Studio desktop computer’s higher-end configuration isn’t arriving until the second half of June. That machine was only announced recently, however, and may be seeing strong initial demand.
On Tuesday, Apple supplier
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