You might have to wait a while before you can get a new iMac. According to Ars Technica, Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company might not be able to meet the strong demand for its revamped all-in-ones. The announcement came yesterday during Apple’s 2013 Q1 earnings call, which also shed light on how many Macs were sold during the last quarter of 2012.
Apple revealed the new iMacs in October 2012, along with the new MacBook with Retina display; the 21-inch models hit the market at the end of November. The 27-inch model’s release, however, suffered delays, which – according to Cook – affected overall Mac sales. Apple sold a total of 4.1 million Macs last quarter, which was a disappointing number for Apple, as it has sold 5.2 million Macs the same quarter of 2011. iMac sales, in particular, were down by 700,000 units. Even so, one must take into account that the last quarter of 2012 only had 13 weeks, whereas 2011’s had 14. Still, one week is probably not enough to make up for 1.1 million less Macs, leading some to wonder if the decline in sales is actually due to Apple’s recent lack of innovation.
While Cook assures everyone that Apple is doing what it can to ramp up production of iMacs during the first quarter of 2013, he admits that the company’s efforts might not be enough to ensure a healthy supply of new iMacs everywhere. “We left the quarter with significant constraints on the iMac,” Cook said in the earnings call. “For the current quarter ending in March, we’ll significantly increase supply, but demand is very strong and we’re not certain we’ll achieve a balance.”
