Apple seems to be slowly getting its massive delivery problems with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max under control. The availability of the devices has improved in the last few days. Although the Christmas business for the models – except with massive luck in retail – went, but who ordered todaygets most variants of the smartphones in the first week of January, some models possibly even (slightly) earlier.
From four to two weeks delivery time
That’s a good sign – previously there was a wait of up to a month, but the 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are the most popular iPhone variants this year. Observers assume that Apple has now managed to bring the main production facility in Zhengzhou of its partner Foxconn, which has been plagued by the Communist Party’s corona measures, back to near full operation. It had previously been expected that this would probably not be possible before the turn of the year. At the same time, alternative manufacturers such as Pegatron or Wistron Foxconn are to take over parts of the production that initially only took place in Zhengzhou for the Pro models.
Nevertheless, a decline in sales is to be expected for the current quarter. The well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from the Taiwanese investment company TF International Securities, who has good contacts in the iPhone manufacturer’s supply chain in Asia, estimated in November that the number of devices shipped in the fourth quarter of 2022 would be “significantly lower”. , than expected by Wall Street. It remains unclear whether there will be catch-up purchases in the first quarter of 2023; some buyers may have moved away from this and would rather wait for the iPhone 15 next fall, which is said to be equipped with USB-C for the first time.
Corona wave is rolling (again)
However, it is unclear whether China will remain as quiet as Apple’s production seems to be at the moment. After the KP decided to dissolve its extreme lockdown measures surprisingly quickly, a new one is currently taking place Corona wave on an undervaccinated population meets. If people previously fled the factories before the lockdown, there could now be increased sick leave.
Apple itself is trying to expand its locations outside of China. For example, India is considered to be in an excellent position to take over parts of the iPhone production. However, it will still be years before the appropriate infrastructure is set up, employees are trained and the factories are up and running. In addition, the production facilities have so far been dependent on Chinese supplies.
(bsc)
Tag: iphone design, iphone 14, apple iphone, iphone release