What you need to know
- Android manufacturers are struggling to maintain supply due to the global chip shortage.
- The shortage is, according to one manager, affecting "everybody but Apple,"
The global chip shortage is now affecting "everybody but Apple."
As reported by PCMag, the global chip shortage that has been going on for the past year is now affecting the availability of Android phones with carriers in the United States. According to research from Wave7, Apple beat most other brands to securing chips.
"Sources have told Wave7 Research that Apple was able to lock down chipset supply well ahead of time. This was not the case for other OEMs," says Jeff Moore, principal at Wave7. Wave7 produces monthly reports on the US mobile-phone market based on surveys of retailers.
According to the report, the shortage is affecting carriers differently as well. While AT&T is not as heavily impacted due to its large customer base of Apple users, T-Mobile is struggling to keep up with the demand for its Android models.
The shortage is "uneven by carrier, channel, and even by store," the Wave7 report says. AT&T is least affected, but only because AT&T has the most iPhone-heavy customer base. At T-Mobile, the shortage is affecting "everybody but Apple," a store manager told Wave7.
Today's report lines up with another from yesterday that revealed the resilience of the iPhone 12 lineup's sales performance in July. Whereas the iPhone usually sees a dip in sales as it gets closer to a new release, this year is quite different.
According to the report, the popularity of the iPhone 12 lineup and the supply issues experienced by Android manufacturers are contributing to the sustained sales performance of the iPhone, potentially right up until the company announces the iPhone 13.
Apple is expected to announce its latest iPhone at a virtual event in September.
