Want to purchase the newest iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone Pro Max right away? According to Apple, there will likely be greater delivery delays for its new items.
The giant tech said that its Chinese assembly plant is now working at a drastically reduced capacity.
On November 2, authorities shut down a neighborhood where Foxconn has its largest iPhone factory for seven days. The announcement from Apple comes as China reaffirms its commitment to zero COV.
According to a statement from Apple, which debuted its new iPhone line in September, “we are prioritizing the health and safety of the employees in our supply chain, as we have done throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.”
“We continue to see strong demand for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. However, we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products.”
Investors who hoped China would soon relax its Covid restrictions will likely be disappointed by the announcement. On Friday, Chinese financial markets gained significantly as a result of rumors that Covid lockdowns will soon end.
Beijing’s unrelenting strategy for halting the virus’s spread has come at a significant financial cost. However, Xi Jinping, the president of the country, who has personally approved the policy, has not indicated that it will be eased any time soon.
According to the most recent data, the second-largest economy in the world is having a difficult time coping with the protracted obstacles provided by persistent Covid restrictions, a housing crisis, and the possibility of a global recession.
China’s imports and exports unexpectedly decreased in October, according to trade data released on Monday. Since May 2020, there has been a decline. In sharp contrast to the 5.7% increase in September, outbound shipments for the month fell 0.3% from a year earlier. Since May 2020, it was the worst performance.
On Sunday, the nation reported 5,643 new Covid infections, the highest daily total in six months. The Foxconn facility is situated in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan in central China, which has a population of around 10 million. On Monday, there were 3,683 cases and 22 fatalities.
Additionally, cases were found within the factory, which caused a rapid shutdown and the evacuation of the staff. The company’s Zhengzhou operation began a hiring drive on Monday. Workers who left the plant between October 10 and November 5 are eligible for a 500 yuan (US$69, GBP£60.88) one-time bonus if they come back to work.
