The Year Chip Shortages Changed the World

Sold-out products and rising geopolitical tensions defined 2021 for the chip industry. 

Photographer: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg

Hi, it’s Debby in Taipei. This year will have long-lasting impacts on the chip world. But first…

In 2021, users of everything from iPhones and PlayStations to cars and ultrasound machines were jolted awake to a new reality: All these things need silicon chips, and there aren’t enough of them.