Apple has issued a warning on the delivery of the iPhone 14 Pro before the Christmas holiday season.
Apple today said that shipments of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be lower than expected due to temporary COVID-19 restrictions at Foxconn’s main plant in Zhengzhou, China.
COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily affected the main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China.
The plant is currently operating at a considerably reduced capacity. As we did during the COVID 19 pandemic, we have prioritized the health and safety of workers in our supply chain.
This means Apple is likely to lower shipping estimates for the holiday shopping season, which could affect quarterly sales, and customers should expect longer wait times to order a new iPhone 14 Pro model at this time. .
The company says that they continue to see high demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, they expect iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments to be lower than expected and customers may have to wait longer to receive the new products.
They say they are working closely with their supplier to bring production back to normal levels, while ensuring the health and safety of all workers.
According to a report last week, iPhone production at the Foxconn factory could be reduced by up to 30% from normal levels due to restrictions.
Apple said the reduction in supply chain capacity will lead to longer delivery times for customers ordering the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It is currently estimated that the devices will take between 3 and 4 weeks to be shipped from Apple’s online store in the United States.
In the ninth week of Apple’s product availability survey by JP Morgan analysts, wait times for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max remain long.
After increasing by about a week in week eight, the availability of both models froze at 31 days each, as in previous results.
On November 2, the Chinese government ordered a week-long closure of an industrial zone where Foxconn’s plant is located due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
This would not be a problem if Apple had not relied solely on China. Apple had three years to move its assembly plant to India or other countries like Vietnam, but it didn’t take advantage of it then.
Now demand is high and supply is low. At this point, Apple has caught up with the offer. It is certain that people will expect the iPhone SE or the iPhone 15 model in 2023.
The problems are so bad that Apple issued a rare press release on Sunday warning of a drop in production of the iPhone Pro model at the factory.
Currently, Apple’s online store lists a four-week delivery time for most iPhone 14 Pro configurations. However, iPhone 14 and 14 Plus orders can ship immediately.
