Apple is fully expecting its products to be in even higher demand over the next few months, and is preparing to crank out more supplies. The Cupertino-based company has contracted new manufacturers, other than its usual Foxconn and Pegatron, in the hope of alleviating a shortage in stock, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

It's not clear if the new manufacturers will be in place for CEO Tim Cook's "iPad Christmas". According to the report, Apple will begin outsourcing its iPhone 5C later this year to Taiwan-based Wistron Corp, with Compal Communications handling more iPad mini demand from next year.

Apple's flagship iPhone 5S will continue to be manufactured at Foxconn, even though there has been tension between the two over labour issues and repair-work costs. 

Supply and demand has been an issue for Apple for quite some time, and was repeated with the launch of the iPhone 5S in September. Furthermore the iPad mini with Retina display has not yet launched, though the iPad Air is on the market. Industry insiders have blamed a constraint in manufacturing for Apple's delay in releasing the smaller tablet to the market. 

When speaking on Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook cautioned that Apple might not initially be able to keep up with demand for the iPad mini. Many sources have suggested the tablet will be in short supply until early 2014. 

The effects of new manufacturing partners might not at first be evident to Apple customers, but moving into 2014, with more demand and new products, perhaps the company can finally begin to have enough devices at each launch.

On its last earnings call, Apple announced the sale of 33.8 million iPhones during the last 90 days (up impressively from 26.9 million on the same period in the previous year), 14.1 million iPads (up from 14 million), 4.6 million Macs (down from 4.9 million) and 3.49 million iPods.