Fans of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max smartphones will have to grapple with the fact that the flagship devices are not available to buy worldwide for the next few weeks if not months. The two models have faced shortages in markets due to disruption in the supply chain, but things have just gotten worse.
Apple launched its long-awaited iPhone 14 series on September 7 and continues to receive good demand for the phones. However, the US phone maker has struggled to keep up with market supply due to new COVID-19 stringent measures that have affected production at Foxconn, its largest manufacturing plant in China. But recent protests by workers is certain to hurt the phone production even further and pushing the date for restock.
Currently, the two phones are hardly available on official online or at retail stores just after a few months of release. The Black Friday sale also passed without the latest iPhone Pro models being sold. There is simply not enough stocks for the expensive superlative phones at the moment.
The assembly facility in Zhengzhou, China has suffered from the new shutdown impacting the production flow of iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. Apple said, “The facility is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity. As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prioritizing the health and safety of the workers in our supply chain.”
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Foxconn unrest could worsen iPhone production lag
But the November production flow for the two devices has seen another obstacle. Workers at Foxconn in Zhengzhou, Apple’s largest iPhone facility, recently clashed with security personnel over a payment issue.
The footage uploaded on social media showed hundreds of workers protesting inside the plant with some also smashing windows and cameras.
The incident could worsen the production target for Apple’s two premium-tier phones. It is estimated that Foxconn could see its November production fall short by 30%.
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When will iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max be available?
Experts are not expecting the supply issues to be normal for the two devices at least before December. It means buyers won’t have it easy to find phones in the stores this holiday season.
Christine Wang, an analyst at KGI Securities says that the situation will see 10 million iPhones lost in production. It’s a 12% lower iPhone shipment in the last quarter of 2022. Foxconn is Apple’s largest iPhone maker which is responsible for 70% of shipments worldwide.
In Nepal though, the phones won’t be available officially even after the supply chain becomes normal. The government of Nepal has imposed restrictions on the trading of phones worth $300 and above including others until Mangsir 29 at least which means traders can’t import Apple phones into Nepal.
Analysts believe that iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max production won’t ease till the end of December and that means the phone could be available from around the first week of January 2023.
Are you eager to buy one of the upper-tier iPhone models mentioned above? Do share why or why not in our comment section below.
