iPhone 14 Pro bad news — Apple just said delays could get way worse

iPhone 14 Pro shown from front displaying iOS16 home screen
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Getting a hold of an iPhone 14 Pro could become even harder in the coming weeks due to troubles with Apple's manufacturing partner in China.

According to a new Apple statement, the Foxconn production plant in Zhengzhou, the location of the main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max production plant, is currently "operating at significantly reduced capacity" due to a Covid-19 lockdown in the city that began on November 2. One estimate (via Reuters) believes that the reduction could be as high as 30%.

As a result, Apple states that it expects "lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated and customers will experience longer wait times to receive their new products."

High demand for the new Pro iPhones has already meant a wait of a month or longer between buying a phone and it being delivered, and this reduction in output will not help. This is particularly bad timing for buyers now that the holiday season approaches, as no doubt many users were waiting to take advantage of Black Friday deals to get money off or extra perks with their iPhone purchase. Now it seems unlikely that any iPhone 14 Pros bought during Black Friday will arrive before the end of the year.

Major Covid lockdown wreaks havoc

Due to the lockdown, Foxconn factory staff have been confined to their quarters within the facility, with accounts of large numbers of workers attempting to leave despite the restrictions due to alleged poor care and bad conditions on-site.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo commented on the lockdown's impact, suggesting that Foxconn may speed up its new production facilities in India to avoid further delay due to strict Chinese Covid lockdowns. This could help with shortages, but this is unlikely to be a quick fix. Currently, the Indian factory produces only 2 - 4% of Apple's total iPhones, says Kuo.

The Zhengzhou lockdown will last until at least November 9, with the chance that the Chinese government will continue the restrictions if it still deems the risk of Covid transmission to be too high. Therefore, the iPhone 14 Pro delay could end up even longer than it is currently, or have a longer-lasting impact on stock levels.

Fortunately for users with smaller budgets or who aren't keen on the Pro's advanced features, the iPhone 14 regular and iPhone 14 Plus don't seem to be as affected by the lockdown. These models are not as big a step forward compared to the Pro models, but having a new larger size option in the Plus model is still welcome. Also, these phones still offer some new features like Crash Detection, Photonic Engine low-light photos, Action Mode video and an auto-focussing selfie camera.

TOPICS
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

Read more
iPhone SE 4 render
iPhone SE 4 launch reportedly pushed back a week
iPhone 16 Pro Max shown in hand
iPhone 17 rumor reveals some Dynamic Island info — and it’s not good news
Renders of the iphone 17 in teal, green and dark green
iPhone 17 rumors — everything we know so far
A render of the iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max just tipped for very welcome design upgrade
Iphone 17 pro max render next to iPhone 16 Pro Max being held in hand
iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: 5 biggest expected upgrades
iPhone 16 Pro Max shown in hand
iPhone 17 Pro Max — all the rumors so far
Latest in iPhones
The iPhone 17 Air next to an iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Air could be this thin — new photo vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max shown in hand
iOS 18.4 has dropped — 5 new iPhone features to try first
iOS 19 logo on an iPhone
iOS 19 just tipped for 'most dramatic overhaul' in Apple's history
iOS 19 logo on an iPhone
iOS 19 — all the biggest rumors so far
3D printed models of alleged iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro design
iPhone 17 Air dummy model shows off Apple’s big design change
iPhone 16 Pro shown held in hand
iOS 19 may bring Apple Intelligence powers to more iPhone apps — but without any big new features
Latest in News
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge back
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge price comes into focus with latest leak
Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review.
Apple just released an emergency security update for a flaw used in an ‘extremely sophisticated attack’ — update your devices right now
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Wednesday, March 12 (#640)
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels in Hacks
Max reveals 'Hacks' season 4 release date and trailer — here's when it's coming
Google Pixel 5 review
Google Pixel 10 lineup leaked in new renderings — here's what they look like
A person trying to set up a new Wi-Fi router
Thousands of TP-Link routers have been infected by a botnet to spread malware