Due to limitations imposed by Covid-19 at its main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max manufacturing plant in Zhengzhou, China, Apple stated in a statement on Sunday that it had temporarily limited iPhone 14 production.
The Foxconn-run factory is working at “substantially reduced capacity,” according to Apple. Customers will have to wait longer to receive their orders of devices, and the company forewarned that it would ship fewer items.
Apple’s warning raises the likelihood that it could sell fewer iPhones in the December quarter due to manufacturing difficulties. Prior to last month, it indicated sluggish growth in the December quarter.

The impacted devices, which are more expensive than other iPhone models and start at $999 and $1099, are nevertheless in high demand, the company claimed.
China has mandated lockdowns in Zhengzhou, where Apple produces the majority of its iPhones, for the past week. According to Reuters, the firm in China has struggled with workers leaving the location due to its Covid regulations and outbreaks.

The “zero-Covid” policy, which China is still pursuing, mandates that factories like the one that makes the iPhone in Zhengzhou function as “closed loops,” where employees live alone in dormitories and produce goods away from the outside world.
According to a note published on Sunday by JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, the current lead time for an iPhone 14 Pro purchased directly from Apple’s website is 31 days, which is greater than the typical 2-day lead time for less expensive iPhone models.