After Julian Christmas, iPhone 14 Pro smartphones became more affordable to buy, as the pre-holiday hype began to decline, and production at the world’s largest iPhone assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China began to increase after the lifting of restrictions due to COVID-19.
The Chinese government’s crackdown on a zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19 has sparked protests and clashes with police among workers at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou plant, as well as a mass exodus of workers dissatisfied with living and working conditions at the plant.
In mid-December, Foxconn lifted all restrictions, and according to The Wall Street Journal, citing the findings of JP Morgan analysts, the availability of iPhone 14 Pro models has almost returned to normal. “Supply (iPhone 14 Pro) is improving and is slowly approaching parity with demand,” JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee said in a research note to investors this week.
According to JP Morgan, the lead time for the iPhone 14 Pro to US consumers, which was previously up to 40 days, has now been reduced. Apple’s US and China websites indicate that the lead time for iPhone 14 Pro delivery is one to two weeks. Select iPhone 14 Pro color options and models are available immediately from select Apple Stores in both countries. The Zhengzhou plant is now operating at about 70% capacity, according to analysts and supply chain insiders.
Labor shortages continue to have a negative impact on supply chain performance in China, according to research firm TrendForce. TrendForce forecasts shipments of all iPhone models in the first quarter of 2023 at 47 million units, down 22% from the same quarter in 2022 and below the previous forecast of 56 million units.
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