Apple warns of slow iPhone 14 Pro shipments as COVID hurts production in China - The Register

Apple has warned that a COVID outbreak successful Zhengzhou, China, has impacted accumulation of the iPhone 14 and volition mean customers hold longer than anticipated to get their hands connected the device.

"COVID-19 restrictions person temporarily impacted the superior iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly installation located successful Zhengzhou, China," reads a statement issued connected Sunday November 6. "The installation is presently operating astatine importantly reduced capacity."

The installation Apple mentioned is operated by Taiwanese institution Foxconn, which past week encouraged unit to stay on-site with assurances of regular COVID investigating and 3 meals a day.

Apple's announcement is astatine likelihood with reports successful Chinese property that accumulation levels are "basically normal" astatine the plant. However Zhengzhou's section authorities has besides reportedly apologized for mishandling the pandemic "and the unbalanced worldly proviso which person brought terrible consequences to people's enactment and life."

Who to believe? Apple is bound to disclose changes to its concern that could marque a worldly quality to its bottommost line, making it astir surely a much close root of info than state-controlled Chinese media.

And Apple has warned of delays.

"We proceed to spot beardown request for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we present expect little iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we antecedently anticipated and customers volition acquisition longer hold times to person their caller products," the fruiterer's announcement states.

"We are moving intimately with our supplier to instrumentality to mean accumulation levels portion ensuring the wellness and information of each worker."

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the largest and astir almighty iPhones, sporting the six-core A16 CPU, a quartet of cameras, and the quality to code a terabyte of storage.

Yes, a terabyte. Apple suggests these devices mightiness beryllium pressed into work by nonrecreational photographers and videographers – if they could get one.

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The Zhengzhou concern comes astatine a atrocious clip for Apple, arsenic it could deter buyers from considering its products astatine the 3 large upcoming buying festivals. Kicking disconnected this week is China's 11.11 splurgefest, earlier Cyber Monday and Christmas get their crook astatine driving conspicuous consumption.

The incidental whitethorn besides springiness planetary concern different crushed to bemoan China's zero-COVID policy, which requires full cities to unopen down to negociate adjacent precise tiny outbreaks of the virus. Commentators specified arsenic The Washington Post's Editorial Board person criticized that argumentation arsenic ineffective and redundant.

Chinese president-for-probably-life Xi Jinping has vowed to persist with the argumentation adjacent arsenic the remainder of the satellite learns however to unrecorded with the virus. Xi, however, has besides pledged that China volition amended connected the tepid GPD maturation it precocious posted. That won't hap if exports don't flow. ®