According to Taiwanese website Economic Daily News, companies in Apple’s supply chain are reportedly ramping up production and hiring more staff in anticipation of the release of new AirPods and MacBooks in the second half of this year.
Apple component suppliers are said to have “recently accelerated” their work because of “significantly stronger” orders for products being released in the second half of 2021.
The Shin Zu Shing company, which produces bearings, is estimating that MacBook shipments will be up 15% year on year. That would mean 23 million units, and at the same time, the company is expecting to decrease its shipment of AirPods by up to 30%, or up to 30 million.
Economic Daily News says that the production increase comes after what it describes as a sluggish first half of the year. It attributes that to a chip shortage and Apple having to adjust its inventory plans accordingly. Currently, the company is reporting insufficient staff to meet orders and is “urgently” recruiting 300 additional staff for its Taiman Factory.
There was no indication in the report as to which MacBooks and AirPods are expected to be released, though it is highly likely that it’s referring to the redesigned MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon (M1 chip) Prosser incorrectly predicted would be unveiled during WWDC and third-generation AirPods.
