The iPhone 14 launch might still be on schedule for this September if the latest report from Taiwan is anything to go by. Rumors over the past few days suggested that Apple's iPhone 14 launch might not happen this September, thanks largely to the stringent Covid lockdowns in China. The report also added that at least one of the four expected iPhone 14 models might be delayed due to the lockdowns which are aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
Apple is expected to announce four new iPhone models this year as part of its iPhone 14 lineup. However, unlike earlier years, the 'mini' is likely to be ditched in favor of a larger 'Max' model, thanks to the growing demand for large-screen phones. According to consensus opinion, Apple's four models this year will be the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will be the lower-end offerings, the two 'Pro' models are rumored to offer faster hardware and a notch-less design.
iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has reportedly claimed that supply chain stability is improving in China, and that the overall impact of Covid-19 lockdowns in the country will be limited. According to Nikkei Asia, Foxconn’s chairman Young Liu told shareholders on Tuesday that the company's full year revenues might even be higher than previous estimates, thanks to the minimal impact of Covid lockdowns on the company. Foxconn had earlier forecast that its revenues for 2022 would remain flat due to inflation, the war in Ukraine and other global uncertainties.
Foxconn Doesn't Expect Lockdowns To Impact Production
Even as Foxconn predicts a good year ahead, another iPhone assembler, Pegatron, has been bleeding heavily due to the impact of the Covid lockdowns in Shanghai. According to the report, the company saw its revenues plummet by as much as 35 percent in April, while MacBook manufacturer Quanta Computer's revenues fell a whopping 40 percent during the same month due to the lockdowns. However, Foxconn's latest assertion suggests that despite Covid-related supply disruptions, iPhone 14 production is likely in full swing, meaning Apple will still get to announce the new lineup this September before shipping it in the next few weeks, like every year.
While Foxconn doesn't expect iPhone production to be hampered by the lockdowns in China, Apple itself is said to be bracing for a slow year. According to a Bloomberg report from last week, Apple has lowered its target for iPhone sales this year amidst increasing inflation, the war in Ukraine and Covid-related supply chain disruptions. The company is reportedly planning to produce only around 220 million iPhones this year - roughly the same as in 2021 and about 20 million less than analyst estimates.
Source: Nikkei Asia