Yesterday, it was reported that Apple has suspended the production supply license of its MacBook bearing supplier, Kersen Technology, due to “quality issues,” and has transferred orders to other suppliers until the end of this year.
Apple reportedly discovered a high defect rate in the bearings supplied by Kersen Technology in August, leading to the suspension. It is claimed that the defective bearings were mainly used in the previous generation MacBook Air models, rather than the latest ones, and none of the defective MacBook Air models reached the market.
Industry insiders pointed out that these defects have existed from the beginning, but Apple only discovered them later during destructive testing. Subsequent full batch inspections showed a high defect rate. Fortunately, no problematic products have been released into the market. However, bearing defects typically take one to two years for consumers to notice. It remains unclear which specific components of the bearings are involved.
Just days ago, MoneyDJ reported that Kersen Technology had quality issues with a MacBook Air bearing it supplied, prompting Apple to increase inspection standards for all suppliers, while other bearing hub suppliers were also required to provide urgent support.
Among them, U.S. manufacturer Amphenol received the most transferred orders, followed by Taiwanese bearing giant Shin-Etsu, which boosted Shin-Etsu’s shipments in July and August. In contrast, Chao Li’s contributions were limited due to the capacity constraints of its Taipei factory.
Historically, Apple’s computer bearing supply chain has mainly been handled by Shin-Etsu and Amphenol, with Chao Li managing a small portion of orders. To reduce costs, Apple changed its supplier strategy in recent years, allowing Kersen Technology to penetrate the MacBook bearing supply chain about five to six years ago due to its low price advantage. This move was perceived by the market as a challenge to existing suppliers’ pricing discussions.
Although Shin-Etsu and Amphenol still serve as primary suppliers for Apple’s MacBook bearings, they face intense competition from Kersen Technology, making it difficult to maintain pricing. In recent years, Chao Li has lost MacBook Air orders to Kersen, primarily supplying bearings for MacBook Pro. However, Chao Li has recently secured new orders for the MacBook Air bearings and has started supplying parts for the iPad Magic Keyboard, gradually reclaiming lost ground.
In addition to winning Apple orders, Kersen Technology has also captured some orders for Huawei’s foldable phone bearings in recent years. Currently, Huawei’s foldable phone bearing suppliers mainly include Fuhai and Chao Li, while Kersen Technology’s orders remain relatively low due to yield issues, but they have begun to attract market attention.
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