A new report indicates that shipments of the Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 have been delayed as a result of an Intel Skylake processor shortage. The silver lining for the company is that, because of the delay, sales of the items are expected to be strong well into the first quarter of 2016.
Customers who have been looking for one of Microsoft's next-generation tablets already know that it's hard to get their hands on one. Tech Times earlier reported that models of both the Microsoft Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 with larger storage configurations were sold out at the Microsoft store and in very limited supply at Amazon and Best Buy. Shipping dates for some models from Microsoft were pushed back as far as late January.
Now, it appears that the reason for the delay is clearer. A new report claims that the shortage of Surface Books and Pro 4s is a result of a shortage of the powerful Intel Skylake processor that runs the higher-end devices.
Prior to the announcement of the new tablet hybrids in October, there was much speculation as to whether the new slates would run on Skylake. Intel's next-gen processor seemed like a no-brainer for Microsoft's Surface line, with observers noting it would add power, improve battery life, and allow the tablets to run cooler than the Surface Pro 3 line, which has been criticized for its noisy fans.
Indeed, when the new Surfaces were announced, it was confirmed they would run on Skylake. Consumers immediately pounced on the new models, which sold like hotcakes at the Microsoft Store, with many configurations quickly becoming unavailable.
The report [paywall] indicates, however, that yield rates are currently improving, which means delays should shorten with time. Microsoft could sell more than 100,000 Surface Books and 200,000 Surface Pros per month in the first quarter of 2016 as a result. That would generate sales and revenue increases from the slates just as Microsoft's competitors, including main rival Apple, see a significant slowdown due to seasonal demand issues related to the ending of the holiday shopping season.
