Why Apple Customers Are Staring At An Elongated Wait For The New iPad Pro

Apple Inc. AAPL customers may have to wait longer to get the new high-end iPad Pro tablets, according to a report by Bloomberg.

What Happened: Continued supply chain constraints are likely to add to the already month-and-a-half long wait for the latest iPad Pro, the report noted. Delivery dates for pre-orders already stretch into late June or early July due to continued production issues.

Apple’s production partners are struggling to produce the 12.9-inch model’s new MiniLED screen in large quantities, as per the Bloomberg report that cited people familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg had reported in April that the new tablet could face delays due to complexities associated with the display’s nascent technology.

Meanwhile, deliveries of the 11-inch model that uses a more standard screen are still expected to begin between late May and early June.

See Also: Apple Says 'Music Is About To Change Forever.' What Its Teaser Could Mean

Why It Matters: Apple unveiled the 12.9-inch, 5G-enabled iPad Pro with a Liquid Retina XDR display, in-house M1 chip and Thunderbolt port at the “Spring Loaded” virtual event in April.

At that time, Apple said it will begin accepting pre-orders for the new iPad Pro on April 30 and make the tablet available in the second half of May.

Apple has refreshed the iPad line amid strong demand for the tablets as people continue to work and study from home due to the pandemic. The tech giant reported iPad sales of $7.81 billion in its recent second quarter, up nearly 79% from the prior-year period.

However, Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster said in April that he expects Apple’s overall revenue in the third quarter will decline by about 20% sequentially, with component shortages having a negative impact of $3 billion to $4 billion on the Mac and iPad business in the quarter.

Price Action: Apple shares closed 0.9% lower in Monday’s regular trading session at $126.27.

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