Apple has officially acknowledged that iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments will be lower than the company"s previous anticipation. This is due to the ongoing lockdown at China"s Zhengzhou district where Foxconn assembles the devices at its largest factory.
Apple, in a press release, said:
COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily impacted the primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility located in Zhengzhou, China. The facility is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity. As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prioritizing the health and safety of the workers in our supply chain.
We continue to see strong demand for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.
We are working closely with our supplier to return to normal production levels while ensuring the health and safety of every worker
A report last week stated that iPhone manufacturing could slump by as much as 30 percent due to China"s zero-COVID policy. Zhengzhou district has been under strict lockdown since mid-October which has affected around one million residents in the area. More than 200,000 of those residents work at Foxconn"s largest factory in Zhengzhou.
The company had previously stated that it would boost production with other plants in order to compensate for the short fall. However, Apple"s statement clearly reveals that Foxconn wasn"t successful in doing so.