Foxconn's anti-virus curbs slow iPhone production, Apple says - Journal Times

Associated Press

BEIJING — Apple Inc. is informing customers they volition person to hold longer to get its latest iPhone models aft anti-virus restrictions were imposed connected a Foxconn mill successful cardinal China.

The institution announcement Sunday gave nary details but said the mill operated by Foxconn successful the cardinal metropolis of Zhengzhou is “operating astatine importantly reduced capacity.”

Foxconn's monolithic Zhengzhou mill has the nickname "iPhone City," as immoderate astir 350,000 radical enactment determination and unrecorded successful its dormatories. Zhengzhou's full colonisation is successful excess of 10 million.

“We present expect little iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we antecedently anticipated,” the institution said. “Customers volition acquisition longer hold times to person their caller products.”

Foxconn Technology Group said earlier it imposed anti-virus measures connected the mill successful Zhengzhou pursuing microorganism outbreaks. Apple and Foxconn antecedently hadn't responded to questions astir however iPhone accumulation mightiness beryllium affected.

Foxconn had initially promised to physique a megafactory successful Mount Pleasant to conception LCD televisions, but that program ended up being scrapped and overmuch of the areas astir Foxconn's Mount Pleasant holdings remains undeveloped.

Last week, entree to the concern portion wherever the mill is located was suspended for 1 week pursuing a surge successful infections successful Zhengzhou and the departure of workers from the factory.

The lockdown is expected to origin further disruptions to the plant, which successful caller weeks has seen a spate of coronavirus infections and an exodus of workers, immoderate of whom fled the mill connected foot.

Foxconn said successful a connection that it is revising its outlook for this 4th downward owed to the lockdown.

“Foxconn is present moving with the authorities successful a concerted effort to stamp retired the pandemic and resume accumulation to its afloat capableness arsenic rapidly arsenic possible,” the institution said Monday.

It besides said that the provincial authorities has said it volition “fully support” Foxconn successful managing the plant's pandemic prevention and cognition situation.

In a station connected the Zhengzhou plant's WeChat societal media relationship Sunday, the institution said a “closed loop” strategy would restrict its employees’ question betwixt their dormitories and the mill country to negociate risks of COVID-19 transmission.

The past 4th of the twelvemonth is typically a engaged play for companies similar Foxconn arsenic they ramp up accumulation up of the extremity of twelvemonth vacation rush.

“We are moving intimately with our supplier to instrumentality to mean accumulation levels portion ensuring the wellness and information of each worker,” Apple said.