Special Report: Chip shortages The global shortage of semiconductors, one of the most visible effects of the pandemic crisis, has hit availability and prices of many everyday items from new cars to smartphones. Even Apple, famous for using its huge cash reserves to store up future suppliers of components, was forced to reduce its forecast for new iPhone production dramatically in its most recent financial statement. Prices of memory chips and foundry services are rising, with a knock-on effect on the affordability of new gadgets such as 5G handsets, which may in turn slow the adoption of 5G services in budget-sensitive groups during the year ahead, putting further pressure on a near-term 5G return on investment case, which is…