If you are among the many who are looking to get your hands on it iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max – Our choice of best phones Money can be bought right now – you may be left waiting for a while. This is according to the file statement (Opens in a new tab) From Apple, the iPhone maker, which is reporting significant impacts on iPhone production after the Covid outbreak at one of the company’s China-based production facilities.
“Covid-19 restrictions have temporarily affected the primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility located in Zhengzhou, China,” Apple says in its statement. “The facility is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity.”
This is bad news and worse timing for consumers looking to get their hands on the latest iPhone model in the run-up to Christmas, with significant shipping delays expected in the coming months. The Apple Store suggests waiting times to ship Pro models are already 4-5 weeks, which could explode further if there are extended Covid disruptions.
“We continue to see strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models,” Apple says. “However, we now expect iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments to be lower than we previously expected and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.”
Zhengzhou, the Chinese city that houses Apple’s main production facility for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, has been hit by the Covid-19 outbreak in recent weeks, with the city reporting 167 cases in the last full week of October. Foxconn, which runs the Apple plant, reportedly attempted to force a shutdown of its facilities late last month in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
In the immediate aftermath, videos circulating on Chinese social media showed factory workers trying to flee the facility amid reports of poor conditions, inadequate food and medical resources during the imposed quarantine.
Apple is not the first tech company whose supply chains are affected by strict Chinese restrictions imposed by Covid, which has been seen in the Zhengzhou region that includes the Foxconn facility in the government-imposed shutdown until at least midday on November 9.
The delays come just weeks after the launch of the iPhone 14 in mid-September, with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max proving particularly popular among Apple fans and experts alike. It is not clear when production at Apple’s facility in Zhengzhou can resume normal functions, but the disruptions are undoubtedly a blow to both Apple and consumers at an inopportune time.
