Skip to main content

MacBook production delays could cause trouble for Apple

Apple is rumored to be releasing updated versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 lines later this year. Unfortunately, the pandemic is still causing delays as manufacturers implement measures to prevent additional spread — and now those release dates could be in jeopardy.

Shanghai and other Chinese cities are instituting lockdowns in response to the latest wave of infections according to a report from Nikkei Asia. Three of Apple’s key manufacturing partners have been affected and ceased production due to the lockdowns. Pegatron, an important iPhone supplier, halted production at two of its sites. Quanta, a big name in laptop and MacBook manufacturing, also halted production near Shanghai.

Recommended Videos

The action by Quanta could mean that Apple may have to push release dates for upcoming MacBook models. Quanta manufacturers nearly all MacBook models, so a delay would affect future release dates. Other major manufacturers such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo could face similar setbacks.

(2/2) Quanta is almost the sole EMS supplier for MacBook, so among Apple's main products, MacBook has been the most affected amid China lockdowns due to Quanta's halted production.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 12, 2022

On the plus side, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that iPhone supplies won’t be affected as much as Foxconn is able to assist Pegatron with production. Foxconn was also able to pick up the slack for iPads due to iPad maker Compal Electronics closing down operations.

The Nikkei Asia report also details how printed circuit board (PCB) makers Unimicron, BizLink, and Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corporation also had to cease operations around Shanghai. They are key suppliers for Dell and Tesla.

About 161 companies have stopped production in Shanghai and Kunshan, both of which are huge technological sectors in China. Considering that China manufacturers much of the world’s technology, this will likely impact many tech companies that don’t have alternative manufacturing plants elsewhere.

This will no doubt disappoint many who may be waiting for MacBooks updated with the M2 processor. The MacBook Air in particular is rumored to be completely redesigned and include the MagSafe 3 charging that’s in the current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. The current M1 MacBook Air is already a portable powerhouse in its own right and an M2 processor would continue that.

David Matthews
David is a freelance journalist based just outside of Washington D.C. specializing in consumer technology and gaming. He has…
Apple is right to make iPadOS more Mac-like, but I’ll never buy an iPad that runs macOS
Magic Keyboard and iPad Pro.

Do you use a Mac or an iPad? Huge numbers of people use both, yet there are growing calls for Apple to merge the two devices into some kind of all-in-one super product. I’m not one of those people -- in fact I think it would be a terrible idea -- and I’m determined to steer clear of any hypothetical iPad that runs macOS.

Over the past few years, Apple’s best iPads have grown closer to the Mac. We’ve seen the devices get outfitted with Mac-grade chips like the M4, gain macOS-like software features such as Stage Manager, and gain increased compatibility with mice and keyboards.

Read more
I love the Dell XPS 13, but I’ll pick the MacBook Air any day
Dell XPS 13 and M4 MacBook Air.

I am a huge fan of slim and light laptops. That preference is borne more out of my professional lifestyle than a necessity for absolute silicon firebreathers. I believe a laptop should be, well, light on your lap, or hands, unless you need all that firepower in a mobile form factor.

That’s the reason gaming laptops exist, or those thick workstations such as the HP ZBook with an Nvidia RTX A500 series graphics card. For the rest, a thin laptop can do the job just fine, with its quirky set of compromises. Finding the right slim laptop, however, is the tricky part.

Read more
iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook
You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad. 

Read more