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- Apple is facing an AirPods Pro shortage and doesn't know when the supply crunch will end.
- "I just can't predict when at this point," CEO Tim Cook told analysts this week.
- "We seem to be fairly substantially off there, and we're working very hard to put in additional capacity," he added.
- Apple's wearables revenue surged 44% to a record high last quarter.
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Apple can't make enough AirPods Pro to meet demand, and doesn't know when the supply crunch will be resolved.
The tech titan suffered shortages of AirPods Pro and Apple Watch Series 3 last quarter due to production constraints, CEO Tim Cook told analysts during Apple's earnings call on Tuesday.
Asked when the issue would be resolved, he said the smartwatch would hopefully "come into balance" this quarter but the $249 wireless headphones are a bigger headache.
"I just can't predict when at this point," Cook said. "We seem to be fairly substantially off there, and we're working very hard to put in additional capacity."
The AirPods shortage isn't too surprising given the product's popularity. Apple sold nearly 60 million AirPods last year, Strategy Analytics estimates, and analysts predict it will sell 90 million pairs this year.
Despite running short of stock, Apple set all-time sales records for its wearable products in "virtually every market we track," Cook said on the call.
Wearables revenue rose 44%, driving sales up 37% to over $10 billion in Apple's wearable, home, and accessories division.
The strong showing contributed to a robust set of earnings. Apple's total revenue rose 9% to about $92 billion, driving net income up 11% to around $22 billion.
