Apple says that investors and customers should expect the availability of the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max to be weaker than expected.
In a statement released by the company, Apple claims that their supplies might remain limited until the temporary COVID-19 restrictions on their Chinese supply chain factories get lifted.
Health Restrictions At A Foxconn Factory Might Lower Apple's Shipping Estimates
Critical for the holiday period, the tech giant believes that the closure of the manufacturing where the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are assembled might cause a strain on availability.
The COVID-19 restrictions placed on the Foxconn facility in Zhengzhou, China had been cited as the leading cause of this delay in manufacturing and production, according to 9to5 Mac.
The pandemic has affected the supply for Apple for the last two years, and they say that this one might have a significant impact on their quarterly performance.
But while the lack of available supplies can impact the company's revenue figures, Apple assures customers that they are now trying to restore normal production levels.
Despite this, the multi-billion-dollar company reiterates that there remains to be a strong demand for Apple's new flagship phones even though they are struggling with shipments.
Apple also assures that the employees at the Foxconn Factory have been working at a reduced capacity, while the company is taking care of health and safety precautions inside.
Currently, the Apple Online Store estimates that those who ordered the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max will receive their devices in about four weeks.
In contrast, the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus will remain available for immediate delivery for those who purchase them at the store, 9to5 Mac writes.
Read More: Apple Lands Fourth Place in China Despite Lackluster iPhone 14 Pro Sales
Apple Might Shift To India Production To Meet Market Demands
Aside from the shutdown of the Chinese factory due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Apple's production experienced delays because it has already exceeded its capacity to meet demands.
India Today reports that the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are not available in some stores due to delays in production caused by a high demand for the flagship.
With this, the company is allegedly pushing back on the shipment for 25 days because it is running out of stock in stores worldwide.
According to analyst David Vogt, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max availability across 20 countries remain low compared to the demands in the market.
This is because of the supply constraints that the company is trying to address between them and Chinese manufacturers.
Rajeev Chandraskhar, India's Minister of State for Elections and IT, claims that he has spoken with Apple about this problem that can be met with Indian production.
According to India Today, this might be a good idea since aside from the COVID-19 restrictions implemented on the Zhengzhou factory, there is also an ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington.
Related Article: 5 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to iPhone 14 Pro
