Frequent blackouts in the Chinese province of Sichuan threatens to jeopardize the launch of Apple’s new iPads.
Still troubles from China for Apple. Electricity comes and goes, slowing the production of new iPads . It happens in the province of Sichuan, southeast of the Asian country, where drought has reduced the production capacity of power plants (which, as we have already seen, often do not get along very well with heat waves).
Once the power plants’ production capacity decreased, the authorities had no choice but to ration electricity. Translated: the province has ordered several blackouts , which temporarily forced the many factories in the area, including those of Apple’s partners, to close.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Sichuan energy crisis threatens to jeopardize the success of the launch of the new iPads scheduled for this October. Vendors are running into significant delays, and this risks leading to long lead times for deliveries during the first weeks of the launch of Apple’s new tablets. In the fall, Apple will unveil the new iPad Pro with M2 chip and a ‘basic’ iPad with a completely new design .
The frequent blackouts, in particular, concern the factories in Chengdu and Chongqing, respectively of Foxconn and Compal, two of Apple’s most important partners. “At present”, the analyst corrects himself, “it is however very difficult to estimate the impact of the crisis on production”. The emergency could last at least until the 20th of August.