LED suppliers for Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro have said their shipments for the new model are on schedule, in response to recent reports about the shortage of related mini LED chips and other ICs, accoding to industry sources.

Apple is likely to unveil miniLED-backlit MacBook Pro series in October or November 2021, with total shipments in 2021 estimated at nearly four million units, the sources said.

Reportedly a main supplier for miniLED-backlit 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, General Interface Solution (GIS) invested NT$5.0 billion (US$179 million) to expand production capacity for tablet-use touch modules at its factory in Chengdu, China, in first-half 2021.

GIS will also invest NT$3.0 billion to expand production capacity for notebook-use touch modules at the factory in second-half 2021. In 2022, the factory will have monthly production capacity of 2.4-3.0 million touch modules used in tablets and 2.0 million ones used in notebooks.

GIS has reported consolidated revenues of NT$11.593 billion for August, decreasing 10.81% on month but increasing 8.80% on year, and those of NT$85.935 billion for January-August grew 11.32% on year.

Epistar, a main supplier of miniLED chips for backlighting the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, saw consolidated revenues of NT$2.218 billion for August rise 8.62% sequentially and 110.10% on year and those of NT$13.244 billion for January-August hiked 77.43% on year.

Lextar Electronics, a main supplier of the corresponding miniLED backlight units (BLU), had consolidated revenues of NT$664.9 million for August, slipping 1.51% sequentially but growing 8.60% on year, and those of NT$4.760 billion for January-August increased 18.98% on year.

By DIGITIMES