Many shoppers can't find Apple's latest iPhones on Black Friday - Reuters

BETHESDA, Md./NEW YORK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Many shoppers looking for Apple's (AAPL.O) latest high-end phones returned bare handed from its stores this Black Friday arsenic the exertion institution struggles with accumulation snafus successful China.

Among them were Sally Gannon and her lad Michael, who were visiting an Apple store successful Bethesda, wherever they recovered nary iPhone Pros successful stock.

Similarly, Abisha Luitel wanted to get an iPhone 14 Pro for her 21-year aged cousin. But the Apple store she visited was out. She purchased an older version, the 12, instead.

The "iPhone shortages are accelerating and were beforehand and halfway this greeting connected Black Friday crossed galore retailers, Apple Stores, and online channels," Wedbush expert Dan Ives wrote successful a note.

"We judge galore Apple Stores present person iPhone 14 Pro shortages based connected exemplary oregon colour oregon retention of up to 25%-30% beneath mean heading into a emblematic December, which is not a bully motion heading into vacation play for Cupertino," helium said referring to Apple's headquarters.

Shares of Apple ended down 2.0% aft its a root astatine its supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) told Reuters connected Friday that iPhone accumulation could beryllium further deed owed to idiosyncratic unrest astatine the plant.

Apple did not respond to a petition for remark connected Friday. In a connection connected Nov. 7, it said it expected little iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than antecedently anticipated.

Foxconn's works successful China makes Apple's premium models including the latest iPhone 14 Pro, a root told Reuters. work much

The plant, the world's largest Apple iPhone mill has been grappling with strict COVID-19 restrictions that person fueled discontent among workers and disrupted accumulation up of Christmas and January's Lunar New Year holiday.

At an Apple store successful a Bethesda, Maryland mall, an worker said determination were astir nary 14 Pro and Pro Max successful stock. Another worker astatine a store successful Raleigh, North Carolina said that iPhone 14s were successful debased stock, portion the iPhone 14 Plus was wholly retired of stock.

Sally Gannon said that she and her lad were present leaning towards ordering the iPhone online. She said an Apple store worker told them that a telephone ordered online would beryllium delivered connected Dec. 28.

U.S. electronics concatenation Best Buy warned earlier this week of shortages of high-end iPhones astatine its stores this vacation season. work much

Wedbush's Ives expects astir 8 cardinal iPhones volition beryllium sold connected the Black Friday weekend, down from 10 cardinal a twelvemonth ago, chiefly owed to proviso challenges.

And if you privation to store online, helium said hold times connected Apple's website are present up to 40 days for the caller iPhone 14 Pro, which volition lone turn implicit the coming weeks arsenic much consumers effort to find iPhone Pros to acquisition arsenic gifts.

(This communicative has been corrected to hole attribution successful paragraph 6)

Reporting by Hilary Russ successful Bethesday, Maryland, and Siddharth Cavale successful New York Editing by Nick Zieminski

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