Orders for integrated circuits (ICs) set to double, supply sources say

Jul 18, 2013 09:15 GMT  ·  By

A new report from Taiwan says Apple has begun amassing tons of new integrated circuit (IC) components from its key suppliers in Asia, as it prepares for the unveiling of a new range of iDevices.

Apple has to place heavy IC orders ahead of each iPhone / iPad refresh because it expects to ship millions of units, so it has to be ready to cope with demand.

As it approaches the launch of several new iDevices this fall, “Apple has stepped up its pace of chip orders indicating the vendor is gearing up to launch new products,” reports DigiTimes, citing the usual supply chain sources.

These sources tell the Taiwanese trade publication that the IC orders placed by Apple for the third quarter of 2013 “have nearly doubled over the prior quarter.”

That doesn’t tell you much (except if you’re an analyst), but it’s good to know Apple is securing supply for the impending launch of its next-generation iPhone and iPad.