Apple says stronger-than-expected demand for the iPhone and Mac is putting pressure on its supply chain, with supply constraints expected to continue into the next quarter.
The update came during Apple’s Q3 2026 earnings call, where CEO Tim Cook and incoming CEO John Ternus discussed the company’s record June quarter and explained why Apple expects supply challenges to persist despite strong sales.
The company reported June quarter records for both iPhone and Mac revenue, with iPhone revenue climbing 22% year over year to $54.3 billion and Mac revenue increasing 29% to $10.4 billion.
Apple says demand exceeded its own forecasts
When asked about expected supply constraints, Ternus said the issue is not being caused by manufacturing disruptions or supplier problems. Instead, Apple simply underestimated how strong demand would be.
“The root cause of it is not a regular supply issue. It’s a demand forecast issue,” Ternus said. “iPhone and the Mac are both doing remarkably better than we thought they would do, and we had high expectations.”
According to Apple, the biggest bottleneck is the availability of advanced semiconductor nodes used to manufacture the company’s custom chips. While Apple has been pulling component supply forward where possible, Ternus said the supply chain has less flexibility than normal because of unexpectedly high demand.
He added that Apple now expects supply constraints to increase during the September quarter, affecting the iPhone, Mac, and iPad.
Apple still expects another quarter of growth
Despite the supply challenges, Apple remains optimistic about its business. The company expects total revenue to grow between 9% and 11% year over year during the September quarter, although it cautioned that foreign exchange headwinds and tighter component availability will weigh on results.
Cook also highlighted the strong performance of Apple’s flagship products during the June quarter. The iPhone reached a June quarter revenue record across every geographic segment, while the Mac delivered its best June quarter ever, driven by strong demand for MacBook Pro and MacBook Neo.
Apple’s installed base of active devices also reached a new all-time high during the quarter.
While Apple did not indicate that customers should expect widespread product shortages, its comments offer a rare look into the company’s internal demand expectations. Rather than slowing sales, Apple says demand for the iPhone and Mac has been stronger than anticipated, creating temporary supply constraints as it works to increase production.
