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Apple warns of more supply chain woes after iPhone 13 drives revenue surge

The tech giant’s financial disclosures follow the release of new Mac computers, iPads and the iPhone 13.

Apple warned on Thursday that it continues to struggle with supply chain disruptions as it ramps up for an expected holiday shopping crunch following the release of its iPhone 13, new iPads, Apple Watches and Mac computers.

Apple said that iPhone sales jumped nearly 47% in the three months ended Sept. 25, as consumers snatched up the new iPhone 13. But Apple said its sales could have even been higher if not for the continued spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has disrupted businesses across the globe. For Apple that led to a more limited number of products it could make and ship to customers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company missed out on as much as $6 billion in revenue as a result of constrained supplies, primarily driven by silicon chip shortages and manufacturing disruptions. «We are optimistic about the future, especially as we see strong demand for new products,» he told analysts on a conference call.

Still, even though the company expects supply constraints to continue through the holidays, CFO Luca Maestri said he expects Apple to set new sales records during the holiday shopping season.

Apple’s financial disclosures add to a growing tapestry of information about the world economy amid the pandemic. The pandemic upended what turned out to be fragile supply chains around the globe when it ripped through manufacturing and shipping hubs at the beginning of last year. Now, as the holiday shopping season begins, questions remain about potential supply shortages.

In response, large retailers such as Target, Best Buy, Amazon and even Macy’s have begun rolling out early Black Friday deals before Halloween in an effort to draw people to shop now.

As for Apple, many of its newly launched products are already on back order, with the company quoting shipping times for new iPhones into November and new Macs into December. That all speaks to how much Apple’s struggled to keep up with demand.

It also likely helps that Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter included launches for highly anticipated products, including a more rugged $399 Apple Watch Series 7, updated $329 entry-level iPad, and redesigned $499 iPad Mini. The biggest release though was the series of iPhone 13 models, starting at $699.

The company said it tallied $38.8 billion in iPhone sales, up from $26.4 billion the same time a year earlier. Some of that can be attributed to quirks of the calendar. Apple released its iPhone 12 last year a few weeks later than usual, and as a result, its iPhone sales took a hit. This year, Apple stuck to its typical schedule of releasing new iPhones in September.

All told, Apple said it notched profits of $20.5 billion, up 62% from the same last year. That translates to $1.24 per share in profit, off $83.36 billion in overall revenue, which itself was up more than 28% from the $64.7 billion reported last year. But it was below analysts’ average estimates, which were $1.24 per share in profits on nearly $84.9 billion in revenue, according to surveys published by Yahoo Finance.

«It’s difficult to predict COVID,» Cook said. He added that he believes Apple’s still in a «materially better» position than it was earlier this year.

Apple’s stock closed regular trading up 2.5% to $152.57 per share. The stock’s risen nearly 18% so far this year, valuing the company at more than $2.5 trillion.

Supply shortages

The tech industry’s supply issues stretch back more than a year. Initially, industry executives said, many companies lowered orders for products out of fear for decreased demand when the pandemic was just starting last year. That, mixed with waves of illness and manufacturing shutdowns, led to supply shortages as people ramped up online shopping.

Chip shortages have extended well past the tech industry too. It’s kept Sony from being able to produce enough of its PlayStation 5 consoles to meet demand. But it’s also kept Ford from being able to make its F-150 trucks.

Read more: Why your iPhone may never be «Made in America»

Apple’s Cook said that most of the supply shortages it’s facing are among older chips, though the company didn’t say which products or chips in particular it’s referring to. But he did say that getting enough newer chips isn’t as much of an issue.

«What we’re doing is working with our partners, and making sure that they have supply,» he said. Apple’s reworked some of its manufacturing, he added, to have as many products ready for chips as possible. That way, a chip can roll off the manufacturing line, into a product and shipping «as fast as possible.»

By the numbers

Apple said it set a record for Mac sales at nearly $9.2 billion, up slightly from the $9 billion a year earlier, despite the struggles it’s faced to get products to customers.

Apple said its success is primarily driven by the company’s new M1 chips, microprocessing brains designed by the teams that work on the iPhone. These chips, which were first released last year, have been well received by reviewers, who say they’re able to perform well when compared to previous Mac computers. Apple had relied on Intel chips to power its computers for about 15 years.

«After nearly a year, I can say the Intel-to-M1 transition has been relatively smooth,» CNET reviewer Dan Ackerman wrote of the new Mac computers. «The best thing I can say about the M1 chip is that it’s largely transparent to the everyday MacBook Air user, which is exactly what you want from a big under-the-hood change like this.»

Apple’s iPad sales jumped 21% to $8.2 billion. Its segment called «wearables, home and accessories,» which includes the HomePod Mini and Apple Watch, jumped more than 11% to nearly $8.8 billion. Services revenue, including from the company’s $5-a-month Apple TV Plus service, rose 26% to nearly $18.3 billion.

Apple said nearly a third of its revenue now comes from developing countries. Sales in Greater China nearly doubled to $14.5 billion from the year earlier, while sales in the Americas jumped 20% to $36.8 billion, Europe rose 23% to $20.8 billion, and Japan ticked up 19%. Revenue from the rest of Asia Pacific rose 25% to $5.2 billion.

Technologies

The Galaxy Watch 8 Is on Sale for $250 and It’s Hard to Resist

With advanced health tools and a sleek design, the Galaxy Watch 8 is an excellent value at this price.

The holiday season is the perfect time to upgrade your tech, and a smartwatch that supports your fitness goals and schedule might be at the top of your list. This Woot deal gives you the perfect opportunity to grab one of our favorite Samsung smartwatches for a steal right before Black Friday rolls in.

Right now, you can snag the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $250 at Woot — but only until Nov. 15. That’s down from its $330 list price, saving you $80. You’ll also find the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic down to $330. Both models are marked as new and come with a 90-day limited warranty from Woot. With the Galaxy Watch Ultra already sold out, stock is likely to run out quickly, so shop sooner rather than later.

Samsung’s latest smartwatch packs serious hardware upgrades. It has a vibrant 46mm AMOLED display that shines up to 3,000 nits, along with 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, built-in GPS and advanced fitness tools, including sleep coaching and vascular load monitoring. It’s also waterproof up to 50 meters and lasts up to 30 hours on a single charge.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

CNET expert Vanessa Hand Orellana praised its refined design, detailed health insights and Gemini AI support, noting that it «has nearly every feature I could hope for.» Just remember, some tools work best when paired with the Samsung Galaxy phone.

If you love saving a few extra bucks as much as we do, check out our roundup of the best early Black Friday deals and the best smartwatches.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 packs serious upgrades for the price. With advanced fitness tools, sleep coaching and daily energy tracking, it’s one of the most feature‑rich smartwatches this year. The $250 price represents a new low for the model during the Black Friday season and includes a 90-day warranty. But with limited stock, it’s a deal worth grabbing quickly.

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How to Boost Your Phone Signal for Better Reception This Holiday Season

If you’re traveling for the holidays and struggling with bad reception, these 10 tips can help.

You know that special kind of holiday-travel panic? Your phone’s signal bars just… disappear. One minute you’re following the GPS to your in-laws’, the next your map is frozen, the festive playlist is dead, and you’re stranded in a dead zone. It’s not just an inconvenience; it can be a genuine safety issue.

But before you start cursing your cell carrier, you should know the problem often isn’t the network-it’s your phone being stubborn. It’s probably still clinging for dear life to a weak tower you passed 10 miles ago instead of finding a stronger one right near you. The fix is usually a ridiculously simple trick that takes about five seconds.

Stop accepting bad reception as a fact of life. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, here are the quick and easy ways to force your phone to find a better signal. Here’s how to do it.


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Note: Although software across different iPhone models is relatively the same, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones may have different software versions, so certain settings and where they are located might differ depending on device.

For more, check out how you can use Google Maps when you’re offline and how you can maybe fix your internet when it’s down.

To improve your cellphone service, try these steps first

The settings on your phone can help you get better cell service but there are other tricks for improving your reception without even touching your phone’s software.

  • Move yourself so that there are no obstructions between your phone and any cell towers outside. That might involve stepping away from metal objects or concrete walls, which both kill reception. Instead, get to a window or go outside if possible.
  • Remove your phone case. It doesn’t hurt to remove whatever case you have on your phone, especially if it’s thick, so that the phone’s antenna isn’t blocked by anything and can get a better signal.
  • Make sure your phone is charged. Searching for and connecting to a stronger signal drains power, so if your phone battery is already low on charge, you may have a difficult time getting good service.

Always start by turning Airplane mode on and off

Turning your phone’s connection off and then back on is the quickest and easiest way to try and fix your signal woes. If you’re moving around from one location to another, toggling Airplane mode restarts the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular network modems, which forces them to find the best signal in the area.

Android: Swipe down from the top of your screen — to access the Quick Settings panel — and then tap the Airplane mode icon. Wait for your phone to completely disconnect from its Wi-Fi and cellular connections. It doesn’t happen instantly, so give it a good 15 seconds before you tap on the Airplane mode icon again.

iPhone: On the iPhone, you can access Airplane mode from the Control Center, but that varies depending on which iPhone model you have. On the iPhone X and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to access the Control Center. On older iPhone models, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. Then tap the Airplane mode icon, which will turn orange when it’s enabled. Again, wait up to 15 seconds before turning it off.

If Airplane mode doesn’t work, restart your phone

Our phones are miniature computers, and just like computers, sometimes you can fix issues like network connection by simply restarting them.

Android: Hold down the power button, or the power button and the volume down key (depending on your Android phone), until the on-screen menu shows up, and then tap Restart. If your phone doesn’t offer a restart option, you can simply tap Power Off to shut down your device, and then boot it back up with the power button.

iPhone: On the iPhone X and older models, hold down the sleep/wake button and either one of the volume buttons and then swipe right on the power slider to turn off the device. Wait until it fully turns off, then press down on the sleep/wake button to turn it back on. 

Alternatively, you can do a force reset on your iPhone: Press the volume up button, followed by the volume down button and then press and hold the side button. Keep holding it in, after your phone’s screen goes black and until you see the Apple logo appear again. 

If your iPhone has a home button, hold down the sleep/wake button until the power slider is displayed and then drag the slider to the right. Once the device is turned off, press and hold the sleep/wake button until you see the Apple logo. 

Older phone? Take your SIM card out

Another troubleshooting step that might help is to remove your SIM card, if your phone has one, and then place it back in with the phone turned on. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it. If it has any physical defects, you may need to replace it.

You’ll need a SIM card tool — usually included in your phone’s box — or an unfolded paper clip or sewing needle to get the SIM tray out of your phone.

All phones: Remove the SIM card, check to see if it’s damaged and positioned in the SIM tray correctly, then put it back in your phone.

eSIM: For phones with an eSIM — that is, an embedded electronic SIM in your phone — there’s nothing for you to remove. The best you can do is restart your phone.

Check your carrier settings (and update your software)

Mobile carriers frequently send out carrier settings updates to help improve connectivity for calls, data and messages on their network. Although this feature is available on all iPhone models, it’s not universal on Android, so you might not find carrier settings if you don’t have a supported phone.

iPhone: Carrier updates should just appear, and you can update from the pop-up message that appears. To force your iPhone to check for a carrier settings update, go to Settings > General > About on your phone. If an update is available, you’ll be prompted to install it.

Android: As mentioned before, not all Android phones have carrier settings, so you’ll have to open the Settings app and type in «carrier settings» to find any possible updates. On supported Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > Internet, tap the gear next to your carrier name and then tap Carrier settings versions.

Reset your phone’s network settings

Sometimes all you need is a clean slate to fix an annoying connectivity issue. Refreshing your phone’s network settings is one way to do that. But be forewarned, resetting your network settings will also reset any saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN connections and custom APN settings for those on carriers that require additional setup.

Android: In the Settings app, search for «reset» or more specifically «reset network settings» and tap on the setting. On the Pixel, the setting is called Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth. After you reset your network settings, remember to reconnect your phone to your home and work Wi-Fi networks.

iPhone: Go to Settings > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network settings. The next page will warn you that resetting your network settings will reset your settings for Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth. Tap Reset Network Settings and your phone will restart.

Contact your phone carrier

Sometimes unexpected signal issues can be traced back to problems with your wireless carrier. A cell tower could be down, or the tower’s fiber optic cable could have been cut, causing an outage.

For consistent problems connecting to or staying connected to a cellular or data network, it’s possible your carrier’s coverage doesn’t extend well into your neighborhood. 

Other times, a newfound signal issue can be due to a defect with your phone or a SIM card that’s gone bad. Contacting your carrier to begin troubleshooting after you’ve tried these fixes is the next best step to resolving your spotty signal.

If all else fails, try a signal booster to improve cell reception

If after going through all of our troubleshooting steps, including talking to your carrier to go over your options, you’re still struggling to keep a good signal — try a booster. A signal booster receives the same cellular signal your carrier uses, then amplifies it just enough to provide coverage in a room or your entire house. 

The big downside here is the cost. Wilson has three different boosters designed for home use, ranging in price from $349 for single room coverage to $999 to cover your entire home. To be clear, we haven’t specifically tested these models. Wilson offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee and a two-year warranty should you have any trouble with its products. 

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‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Teaser: Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway Are Back in Vogue

The much-anticipated fashion-forward sequel is set to hit theaters on May 1.

Fashion never truly goes out of style. Twenty years after the 2026 release of The Devil Wears Prada, set in the cutthroat world of fashion magazines, a sequel is coming May 1. A teaser for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was released on Wednesday, reuniting Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs.

Based on the book by Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy’s journey into the world of fashion editorial and her dramatic relationship with Miranda, the powerful editor of Runway magazine. The sequel takes viewers back to this cutthroat world, where the duo struggles with the decline of print media as they compete for readers and revenue against rival Emily Charlton (played by Emily Blunt), Miranda’s former assistant.


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Streep received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Miranda, a character loosely inspired by Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. 

Stanley Tucci returns alongside Blunt to reprise his role as Nigel, Miranda’s close friend and fashion expert. David Frankel, who directed the first movie, is back to direct the sequel.

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