Apple Inc. has told its vendors to speed up the development of the iPhone after strict locks on China’s COVID-19 hampered the calendar of at least one of the new phones.
Apple Inc. has told suppliers to speed up iPhone development after China’s strict COVID-19 blockages hampered the scheduling of at least one of the new phones, Nikkei reported on Wednesday, citing several sources with knowledge of the matter.
The blockades due to China’s zero-COVID policy led iPhone assembler Pegatron Corp to suspend operations at its Shanghai and Kunshan plants earlier this year.
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Shanghai’s financial center remains largely paralyzed by a city-wide blockade, now in its seventh week, while Beijing has stepped up its quarantine efforts.
Last month, Apple predicted bigger problems as blockages of COVID-19 increased production and demand in China, and the war in Ukraine adds to the problems of the iPhone maker.
In the worst case, Apple expects the manufacturing schedule and initial production volumes of the new phones to be affected, the Nikkei business newspaper reported.
Foxconn declined to comment on the matter, while Apple and Pegatron did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.