According to a report by Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes, Apple has halted production at Kersen, a supplier of MacBook Air bearings, due to “quality issues.” The company has redirected its orders to other suppliers until the end of the year for further inspection.
A major concern for quality
The suspension reportedly came after Apple discovered a high rate of defects in the company’s bearings in August. Those bearings were used in M2 MacBook Air models, not the newer ones with the M3 chip, the report said. The components in previous batches were believed to be good.
Fortunately, none of the MacBook Air models with the defective bearings have made it to market. Industry insiders told our colleagues that the defects were present from the start, but that Apple only identified them during testing at a later stage in the process. A full inspection of the batch revealed a significant defect rate. While none of the defective products reached consumers, it is common for bearing problems to take one to two years of use before they become apparent.
Kunshan Kersen Science and Technology was replaced by American and Taiwanese suppliers Amphenol, Shin Zhu Shing and Jarllytec.
The report also highlights industry concerns that Apple’s “aggressive pricing strategies” with component suppliers could increase the likelihood of quality issues.
