It's possible that Apple's iPhone 14 max will arrive later than predicted. According to Nikkei Asia, following a month of Covid lockdowns in China, where the smartphone is produced, manufacturing of the impending new addition to the iPhone series has slipped behind schedule.
According to the source, Apple has asked its suppliers to speed up the production of new iPhone models to compensate for the lost time. Shanghai was shut down in certain areas in late March, and while the limitations have since eased, the supply chain disruption continues.
The ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns in China are projected to have a large impact on Apple revenue in the April-June quarter, with the company expecting a $8 billion loss in sales, primarily due to the Shanghai lockout, according to reports published last week.
For the uninitiated, Apple is planning to release four new iPhone models this year, dubbed the iPhone 14, 14 Pro, 14 Max, and 14 Pro Max, respectively. The screens on the iPhone 14 and Pro variants will be 6.1 inches, while the Max and Pro Max editions will be 6.7 inches.
All four models are currently undergoing engineering verification testing (EVT), according to the article. Suppliers complete all parts and processes at this stage before beginning mass production of the new iPhones, as well as calculating manufacturing costs. However, one of the models is said to be three weeks behind schedule due to the Shanghai lockdowns. According to analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 14 Max, which has been rumoured for quite some time, has been delayed.
This isn't the first time Apple has encountered a problem like this. In 2020, the same thing happened during the manufacture of the iPhone 12. Because of the lockout and Covid-19, Apple had to delay the release of the iPhone 12 until October, a month later than planned.
