TOKYO -- The chip shortage that has disrupted car and electronics production worldwide looks increasingly likely to last into next year, industry watchers say, with Apple revealing this week that it expects the supply troubles to spread to iPhones.
The year started off with a deep freeze and resulting power outages across Texas that paralyzed semiconductor plants in the U.S. state. A fire that later broke out at Renesas Electronics' Naka factory in Japan delivered another blow to the supply chain.