Apple is limiting purchases of its devices to reduce the impact of supply chain issues.
According to CNBC, the company has issued new restrictions on how many iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks users can purchase from its online store in one transaction, as Apple grapples with major supply chain constraints following the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Apple’s online store – currently the only official platform for purchasing Apple products following the announcement that Apple Stores would close – now limits users to two units of each iPhone model.
The restrictions are presently per-device, so users could effectively purchase two iPhone 11 devices and two iPhone 11 Pro devices, but they could not purchase four iPhone 11 Pro Max devices at once.
The restrictions apply to all iPhones, from the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus to the 11 and Pro Max.
Users can only purchase two iPad Pros per order, and five MacBook Air and minis per order.
“There are legitimate reasons to buy more than two iPhones at the same time, such as for software development testing or for large families, but Apple has also grappled with “gray market” resellers who buy Apple products in bulk to distribute them for a profit in areas where they are unavailable or in short supply,” CNBC said in its report, outlining just some of the reasons why the company may have begun limiting device sales around the world.
It’s hoped that this limitation will only be in place for a limited time. Apple and other technology companies are suffering from supply chain issues, as many of the factories used to create the parts and components for its devices, and the factories used for assembly, have been closed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, or because of staff shortages.
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