By Oyintari Ben
Due to Covid-19 restrictions at its main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max manufacturing factory in Zhengzhou, China, Apple in a statement on Sunday said that it had temporarily limited iPhone 14 production.
According to Apple, the Foxconn-run factory is working at “substantially reduced capacity.”
Customers will have to wait longer to receive their orders of devices, and the company forewarned that it would ship fewer items.
In light of Apple’s warning, it is possible that it will sell fewer iPhones in the December quarter due to production issues. In the December quarter of last month, it had earlier indicated declining growth.
The impacted devices, which are more expensive than other iPhone models and start at $999 and $1099, are nevertheless in high demand, the company claimed.
China has mandated lockdowns in Zhengzhou, where Apple produces the majority of its iPhones, for the past week. China continues to pursue a “zero-Covid” policy that requires facilities like the iPhone facility in Zhengzhou to operate as “closed loops,” where workers isolate in dorms and work in factories cut off from the outside world.
The factory in China has struggled with employees fleeing the facility due to its Covid policies and outbreaks.
According to a note published on Sunday by JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, the current lead time for an iPhone 14 Pro purchased directly from Apple’s website is 31 days, which is greater than the typical 2-day lead time for less expensive iPhone models.
