Several years have passed since the outbreak of the epidemic, and after tighter lockdowns, some economies still face the difficult task of fully recovering from the economic downturn. Even China is struggling to cope with continued inflation and ingredient shortages across the country, and ongoing Covid restrictions are making things worse. Production has decreased and even Apple’s manufacturing facilities have not changed and are experiencing the same conditions.

In a press release, Apple confirmed a production delay that could lead to “longer wait times” for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Covid restrictions are affecting production capacity at the iPhone factory in Zhengzhou. However, the company remains committed to its policy of “prioritizing the health and safety of our employees in our supply chain”.

“Strong demand” for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is still increasing thanks to better specs and the availability of Apple’s new Bionic A16 chipset. However, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus sales were not as expected, and even the company reduced its production capacity.

Some reports last month indicated a 30% drop in iPhone production due to Covid restrictions at the Foxconn manufacturing facility. Moreover, some workers have even left the Foxconn facility during the Covid pandemic, due to long stays inside the building with limited food supplies.

The giant from Cupertino is gradually transferring its production facilities from China to other countries. Apple has started iPhone 14 production in India to bridge the gap between demand and production. We expect Apple to normalize production with a similar approach should the ongoing Covid restrictions impact overall capacity in China.