Even Apple Inc. is not immune from supply chain problems. According to Apple, approximately $6 billion was lost from September quarter sales due to supply restrictions as the company struggled to keep up with demand for iPhones, Macs, and iPads.

And this figure may be dwarfed by the ultimate cost that supply restrictions will have on Apple during the holiday season. We think that by the end of the (December) quarter, the constraints will be larger than the $6 billion we experienced (in September)," CEO Tim Cook told Wall Street analysts yesterday (October 28) when Apple announced its quarterly results.

Apple is not looking around for pennies. Despite supply issues, the company posted record revenue of $83.4 billion for the September quarter. This is a 29% increase over the same period last year, but less than Wall Street analysts had expected.

Investors may also be spooked by Apple's guidance for the three months covering the holiday shopping season; although avoiding precise forecasts as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple is again expected to break revenue growth records.

However, Apple assumes that supply shortages will have an even greater impact on earnings this quarter. This will be the first full quarter of initial sales for all of Apple's September announcements and for the MacBook Pro with Apple's newest chips, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which were just announced.

We have been tracking the inventory situation for Apple's top products, and it certainly reflects a situation where demand is outstripping supply. As of a few days ago, according to our iPhone 13 inventory check, ordering an iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Mini meant a delay of at least a week before you could expect your new model. For the iPhone 13 Pro model, an additional two weeks will be added.

The latest MacBook Pro inventory is an even tougher story, especially if you try to configure your own model. Some of these machines will not arrive until December.

As anyone looking for a PS5 can tell you, Apple's situation is not unique. One of the effects of the global COVID pandemic is a shortage of chips, as companies initially scaled back their orders only to realize they had underestimated demand.

Apple's problem is not the new chips that power its products. Rather, the problem is the legacy nodes in many electronic products, Cook told investors. In many cases, Apple is competing with other companies that require the same components in their devices, which triggers delays.

The bottom line for consumers is to order early if they want their gear in time for the holiday season. They can also check out the Black Friday Info 2021 hub to monitor popular gear that is still in stock.

Despite warnings about supply constraints, Apple posed largely optimistic about its short-term finances. Reports of strong demand and high customer satisfaction will do that for the company.

"I feel very comfortable with our operations team," Cook said. 'They should be doing everything they can, in addition to investing in fundamental production capacity to reduce cycle times, improve yields, and improve the situation.'