Apple says it’s ‘hard to predict’ when iPhone Duo constraints will improve

Apple Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan acknowledged the shipping delays plaguing the new iPhone Duo during the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call on Monday, but offered little clarity on when customers can expect relief. The delays were just one point of concern during an earnings call filled with questions about the rising costs of memory chips, driven by soaring demand from the AI industry.

苹果公司首席运营官萨比·汗（Sabih Khan）在周一的第四财季财报电话会议上承认，新款 iPhone Duo 正面临发货延迟的困扰，但他并未明确说明客户何时能看到供应缓解。在这次财报会议上，除了发货延迟外，人工智能行业需求激增导致的存储芯片成本上涨也成为了投资者关注的焦点。

“iPhone Duo is constrained as of today. The ramp is going well, and we’re working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of our customers as quickly as possible. But at this time, it’s really hard to predict when supply and demand will be in balance,” Khan said. Customers who didn’t wait in line at an Apple Store or immediately jump on preorders are now seeing ship times stretch into next year.

萨比·汗表示：“iPhone Duo 目前处于供应受限状态。产能爬坡进展顺利，我们正在努力将这款革命性的新产品尽快送到客户手中。但目前很难预测供需何时能达到平衡。”那些没有在苹果零售店排队或未立即预订的客户，现在发现发货时间已经排到了明年。

Meanwhile, Verizon has been apologizing to its customers for the delays by offering gift cards. In an October report from Financial Times, Apple described demand for the Duo as “nothing short of extraordinary,” after the device sold out on the company’s website within hours of going on sale, pushing delivery dates into next year.

与此同时，威瑞森（Verizon）一直在通过提供礼品卡的方式，就发货延迟向客户道歉。据《金融时报》10 月的一篇报道，苹果公司称 Duo 的需求“极其惊人”，该设备在官网上架数小时内即告售罄，导致交付日期推迟到了明年。

The prolonged shipping delays are notable given Apple’s reputation for its highly efficient supply chain. But the company is hardly alone in facing supply pressures. Soaring demand for memory chips from the AI industry has driven up component costs for hardware makers across the board, threatening to push device prices even higher.

考虑到苹果公司以其高效的供应链而闻名，此次长时间的发货延迟显得尤为引人注目。但面临供应压力的并非只有苹果一家。人工智能行业对存储芯片需求的激增，推高了所有硬件制造商的零部件成本，这可能会进一步推高设备价格。

Apple, too, has raised prices on a number of products, Khan noted on the call, adding that those decisions were made “reluctantly.” In another sign of the company’s efforts to meet demand for the Duo, Apple said it’s “deepening” its partnership with Perryman, a titanium producer for supplying materials for the new foldable device.

萨比·汗在电话会议上指出，苹果也提高了多款产品的价格，并补充说这些决定是“无奈之举”。为了满足 Duo 的需求，苹果还表示正在“深化”与钛金属生产商 Perryman 的合作，为这款新型折叠设备供应材料。

“We’ve been thrilled with the early response from reviewers and customers, and we are working hard to get iPhone Duo into customers’ hands as quickly as we can,” Apple CEO John Ternus said during his opening remarks.

苹果公司首席执行官约翰·特纳斯（John Ternus）在开场白中表示：“我们对评论家和客户的早期反馈感到非常兴奋，我们正在努力尽快将 iPhone Duo 送到客户手中。”