Apple warns of iPhone shipment delays due to ‘significantly reduced capacity’ at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility
- Apple said in a statement that the Foxconn Zhengzhou facility was operating at ‘significantly reduced capacity’
- iPhone production in India will be boosted from the current 2 to 4 per cent of global output to almost half over the long-term, said one analyst
The Covid-19 lockdown at the Foxconn plant in Zhengzhou will affect production and shipments of iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max lines for the coming holiday shopping season, Apple said in a statement, breaking its silence on the recent chaos at the world’s largest iPhone factory.
“The facility [at Foxconn Zhengzhou] is currently operating at significantly reduced capacity … we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated,” the company said on Sunday.
Apple did not provide specific estimates on affected production at the compound, which employs nearly 300,000 workers, and has been hit by Beijing’s draconian Covid-19 control measures. Apple’s statement contrasts with a Foxconn statement issued 10 days ago confirming “a small number” of Covid infections at the plant, adding that production was relatively stable.
On Monday, Foxconn revised down the outlook for its fourth quarter from “cautiously optimistic”, saying in a new statement that the pandemic has affected some of its operations in Zhengzhou.
The South China Morning Post reported on October 21 that Foxconn’s iPhone factory in Zhengzhou had imposed strict restrictions on worker movements within its compound, including the cancellation of meals served in dining halls.
