The iPhone 14 may not arrive on time, according to a new report. Production has been delayed due to restrictions on Covid in China, where the phone is mounted, reports Nikkei Asia (opens in a new tab).
This isn’t the first time Covid has derailed Apple’s agenda. The iPhone 12 was announced in October 2020, a month after Apple usually launches its new iPhone, due to the pandemic. Although Covid-19 cases are much lower worldwide than during the pandemic peak, the virus is still very much among us, with parts of China supporting new confinements under the “zero covid” policy. of the regime.
Parts of Shanghai closed in late March and, although restrictions have eased since then, supply chain disruption continues.
The reopening of Shanghai has been described by an Apple vendor as “rather slow”. Apple has told suppliers to speed up production to make up for lost time.
The company has already warned that blocking restrictions in China have disrupted production of current iPhone models. This quarter alone could cost Apple up to $ 8 billion in revenue.
An iPhone 14 model is reported to be about three weeks late. Although the report does not indicate which of the four new iPhones it is, it is believed to be the iPhone 14 Max, the only completely new variant of the line.
It is rumored that the iPhone 14 Max has the same specifications as the iPhone 14, but with the screen the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. It is widely believed to replace the iPhone Mini variant seen in the iPhone 12 and 13 ranges.
However, being late does not necessarily mean that the iPhone is delayed. Mass production won’t begin until late August or the first week of September, so Apple still has some leeway.
“If the development process can be accelerated and taken to the next level in late June or early July, it should still be possible to meet the mass production deadline in early September,” a person familiar with the project told Nikkei. subject. . “But it really depends on whether the process can be accelerated soon.”
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