Apple’s iPhone 14 max might not arrive on the expected time. As per a report by Nikkei Asia, the production of the upcoming fresh addition to the iPhone lineup has fallen behind schedule following month-long Covid lockdowns in China, where the smartphone is assembled.
According to the report, the Cupertino company has instructed the suppliers to accelerate the production of new iPhone models in order to make up for the lost time. Certain Regions of Shanghai were locked down in late March, and while restrictions have now started easing off, the supply chain disruption still goes on.
Last week, it was reported that the ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns in China are expected to have a significant impact on Apple revenue for the April-June quarter, with the company predicting an $8 billion loss in sales, mainly due to the Shanghai lockout.
For the unversed, Apple is prepping to launch four new iPhone models this year, tentatively named the iPhone 14, 14 Pro, 14 Max, and 14 Pro Max. The iPhone 14 and Pro models will feature 6.1-inch screens, while the Max and Pro Max models will arrive with 6.7 in-inch screens.
As per the report, all four models are currently in the engineering verification test (EVT) stage. In this stage, suppliers finalize all parts and processes before starting mass production of the new iPhones and also calculate the manufacturing costs. However, due to the lockdowns in Shanghai, one of the models is reported to be about three weeks behind schedule. Analyst Jeff Pu claims that the delayed model is the long-rumored iPhone 14 Max.
This is not the first time Apple is facing such a dilemma. The same happened during the production of the iPhone 12 in 2020. Due to the lockdown and Covid-19, the tech giant had to launch the iPhone 12 in October, one month later than the expected launch date.
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