The chip shortage continues to constrain production of some of the more popular consumer electronic devices, and it's forcing some companies to prioritize. Apple is now shifting iPad chips over to its iPhone 13 production lines to meet demand, according to Nikkei Asia, while Nintendo is making 20% fewer Switch consoles, according to a separate report from Nikkei.
"The supply and demand of semiconductor parts is tight, and is affecting Switch production. We are assessing the impact," a Nintendo spokesperson told Reuters. Nintendo has been the subject of numerous reports about the company's plans to release a more powerful Switch console that were ultimately scrapped, at least temporarily, due the chip shortage. Nintendo has denied it is working on such a device while it continues to promote the recently released Switch OLED model, which has a nicer screen and other minor upgrades but the same chipset as the 2017 model.
Apple has not commented publicly outside forecasts and assessments during its most recent earnings call, when CFO Luca Maestri said iPad revenue would decline in the current quarter due to the chip shortage and CEO Tim Cook cited "industrywide silicon shortages and COVID-related manufacturing disruptions" as one reason why the July to September quarter had lower-than-expected revenue.
Experts expect the chip shortage to persist well into 2022, if not further beyond, as global manufacturing hubs and logistics operators are still grappling with outsize demand, supply constraints and the lingering effects of the pandemic on everything from labor to shipping.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE