This is a great proof of the strategic advantages of totally controlling your operations. In the start you are at disadvantage, but if you manage to gain steam you end up with a competitive advantage that is almost unfair.

In Apples case this strong position is not only visible in the supply chain management but it is clearly present in all their stack. Another example is their supremacy in software.

I think that this is one of the great lessons from Steve Jobs, takin your time to control and develop everything internally it is feasible competitive approach.