The Invisible Bottleneck: AI Hunger for “Glass Cloth” Threatens iPhone 18

A report highlights a severe shortage of high-end T-glass glass cloth—an essential insulating material for semiconductor substrates—driven by surging AI chip demand and the near-monopoly of supplier Nittobo, threatening Apple’s iPhone 18 production timeline. Apple has embedded staff at supplier sites, sought mediation from the Japanese government, and explored alternative sources, yet new capacity isn’t expected until late 2027, underscoring upstream supply-chain fragility and potential compromises on device performance or volume.