AirPods Pro Shortage Caused By Apple’s Surging Wearables; Supply Crunch’s End Indefinite

Apple released the AirPods Pro on Oct. 30, 2019, as an upgrade to the AirPods. Since it was introduced in the market, the AirPods Pro sold more than 60 million units and was sold out across retail channels during the holiday season worldwide. The premium pair of wireless earbuds is currently enjoying a sales trajectory similar to that of the iPhone following its launch.

But, it appears that the Cupertino tech company is now facing a major problem with its AirPods Pro. Apple is unable to create enough AirPods Pro to meet the demand and has no idea when this would end. During the company’s earnings call last Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook revealed that Apple suffered shortages of AirPods Pro because of production constraints.

Cook admitted that the supply crunch of AirPods Pro is a bigger headache for the company. He also noted that the demand for the current generation of wireless earbuds is phenomenal. Apple’s wearables business enjoyed strong double-digit growth, particularly in China, according to the CEO.

The Cupertino company set all-time sales records for its wearables segment in almost every market it tracks disclosed Cook. That’s despite the fact that the company is running short of stocks on both AirPods Pro and Apple Watch. Recently, Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated that AirPods generated around $6 billion in revenue last year.

The estimated figures are nearly twice the size of the sales of the original AirPods in 2018. When asked about the possible timeline where Apple could resolve the AirPods Pro shortage issue, the CEO admitted that he could not predict at this point. However, he assured that Apple is working very hard to ‘put in additional capacity.’

In November last year, Above Avalon’s Analyst Neil Cybart said that AirPods has evolved and has become a platform. It was an in-ear accessory to the iPhone in its early stages, but it is well-positioned to reshape the app paradigm of the wearables era, the Apple analyst added. Meanwhile, the official website of the AirPods Pro currently informs those who are placing their orders that the stocks would arrive in February.

Those looking to buy a pair of Apple AirPods Pro could also check other online, as well as brick and mortar stores for possible stocks. So far, the majority of online retail stores do not have stocks of the AirPods Pro.