Those looking to buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max may have to wait longer. The company says that it expects lower shipments of high-end iPhone 14 models following a significant production cut at a virus-blighted plant in China. Waiting time of both these models has reportedly also increased from 5 to 25 days. According to Apple Insider, analyst David Vogt from investment bank UBS tracked iPhone availability using data across 30 countries.
Apple iPhone 14 models have been facing supply constraints earlier too, but the Cupertino-based company has now fallen victim to China’s rigorous zero-COVID-19 policy.
“The facility is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity,” Apple said in a statement on Sunday. “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,” it said. However, the company did not reveal how much production has been impacted.
A previous Reuters report said that the production of Apple’s iPhones could decrease by up to 30% due to tightening COVID-19 curbs in China. Market research firm Trendforce also said that the iPhone maker has cut its iPhone shipments forecasts from the December quarter by 2-3 million units, owing to the troubles at the Zhengzhou plant. The company previously had a target to ship around 80 million units.
Meanwhile, another Apple manufacturer Pegatron Corp. has begun assembling iPhone 14 models in India. The Pegatron factory near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, generally gets orders for Apple’s entry-level models. It began making iPhone 12 handsets earlier this year. For the unversed, Foxconn is already making the iPhone 14 in the country. The Taiwanese manufacturer started assembling iPhone 14 in September.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State For Electronics and IT, has previously said that he spoke to Apple regarding an iPhone 14 Pro shortage in stores in Delhi. “I have spoken with Apple and they have said while iPhone14 demand is also being met with India production, the iPhone14 pro demand has surged and is facing supply constraints which they are addressing,” he tweeted.
