Apple has issued a statement to the effect of “Orders for Apple iPad and other Apple products are currently coming in faster than we can process, due to a large number of hold-ups on devices due to high demand.” It seems that there may be some truth to this, however it is unclear why Apple would have such an issue. The fact is that when you order an iPad from an Apple store you will get a product in a few days (usually) but after that you have to either return the product or wait for up to seven days for your replacement. I guess if you were expecting an immediate delivery you would expect your device immediately!
Apple’s chief financial officer, Luca Teodora, said in the statement that the company is “working as hard as possible” to increase supply and reduce the cost of its products. He also confirmed that the increased focus on these products is related to the iPad, which will most likely not be launched in the United States before the end of this holiday season. Other products such as the iPod and the Mac will launch later this year. Apple expects to deliver retail orders for the iPad in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2021.
Apple’s statement about expected delivery delays is interesting because typically in the past they have shipped products quickly and have had very little issue with shipping times. However, this is their first issue since launching the iPad in the United States. This could easily be related to supply issues with many different wholesalers and manufacturers. Apple could be looking to partner with other companies to get supplies to them faster so they can start shipping units out more quickly. If you have any doubts as to where your iPad might be waiting for delivery just keep looking online and see if your favorite online store has extra inventory on the wings.
