VCG | Getty Images Apple said in a statement on Sunday that it has temporarily reduced iPhone 14 production due to Covid-19 restrictions at its main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China. The factory, which is operated by Foxconn, is operating at “significantly reduced capacity,” Apple said. It warned that it would ship fewer units and that customers would have longer wait times when ordering devices. Apple’s warning raises the possibility that it will sell fewer iPhones in the December quarter as it struggles to make enough to meet demand. It previously signaled a slowdown in growth in the December quarter last month. He said he continues to see strong demand for the affected models, which are priced higher than other iPhone models and start at $999 and $1,099. Last week, China ordered a lockdown in Zhengzhou, where Apple does most of its iPhone production. The factory in China has struggled with employees leaving the facility due to its Covid policies and outbreaks, according to Reuters. China continues to pursue a “zero-Covid” policy that requires facilities like the iPhone facility in Zhengzhou to operate as “closed loops,” where workers are isolated in dormitories and work in factories separate from the outside world. It currently takes 31 days to receive an iPhone 14 Pro if ordered from Apple’s website, longer than the average delivery time of 2 days for cheaper iPhone models, JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee said in a note on Sunday.
