Accessory makers looking to make an Apple Watch dock or charger have a problem. They are dependent on Apple, because only with the official charging puck you can charge your smartwatch. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, small accessory makers have a problem because the special charging discs are hard to come by.
These discs are built into third-party accessories such as docks, chargers and power banks made especially for the Apple Watch. Because the Apple Watch does not work with standard Qi chargers, manufacturers are heavily dependent on Apple. Making a similar puck yourself is not and is not allowed. As a result, manufacturers are unable to release their products.
For the time being, there is little to notice: there is currently still enough supply of chargers. But it may mean that new models are taking longer to arrive. It would all have to do with the pandemic, which brought many developments to a standstill in 2020. We are now seeing the consequences of this. Apple's own chargers are still in stock everywhere, but with third-party accessories you can experience unexpected delays.
We'll find out on July 27 whether the shortages will also affect Apple's sales. Then Apple presents the latest quarterly figures. However, the largest shortages are expected in the summer months, so the effect will probably only be apparent from quarterly figures this autumn. Apple has already warned that sales are expected to drop between $3 and $4 due to inventory issues with iPads and Macs.