Apple warns of the risk of delayed delivery of iPhone 14 because of disruptions in China

Versions of iPhone 14 are displayed in a store in Beijing. (Photo: Reuters)

“The plant is currently operating at a significantly reduced capacity,” Apple said in a statement, without specifying to what extent production was affected.

“We continue to see strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we anticipate iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments to be slower than previously anticipated,” the statement said.

Last month, Reuters reported that iPhone production could drop by up to 30% at one of the world’s largest factories in November because of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in China.

The main factory in Zhengzhou city, which employs about 200,000 workers, is in disarray because of epidemic prevention measures, causing many workers to leave before the area is locked down.

Last week, market research firm Trendforce forecast iPhone shipments in December to drop by 2-3 million units due to trouble at the Zhengzhou factory. The company said that its investigation determined that the current Zhengzhou plant’s capacity is only about 70%.

Starting to sell new iPhones from September, Apple announced that customers will have to wait longer to receive the product.

On November 6, China reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in the past 6 months. The country’s health officials affirmed that they would continue to implement strict disease control measures, disappointing investors as they were waiting for the day when China eased its policy.

Foxconn, which operates the factory in Zhengzhou, said it was working to restore the factory to full capacity as soon as possible, including introducing a system to restrict the movement of factory workers.

Foxconn is the largest iPhone maker for Apple, accounting for 70% of all iPhones shipped around the world. Foxconn has several smaller manufacturing plants in India and southern China.

According to Reuters