Apple iPhone buyers will have to wait longer for new devices; here's why

Worker unrest at Foxconn's facility in Zhengzhou, China can lead to an acute supply shortage. The facility is one of the few that manufactures iPhone Pro models across global markets. The phones were already in limited supply since the launch happened earlier this year. According to a report by Bloomberg, the unrest has led to a backlog of 6 million units of Apple iPhone Pro units this year. This could eventually lead to no stock availability or delayed deliveries. 

In India, the iPhone 14 Pro (256GB) delivery estimate is around four weeks. The waiting period could extend beyond this for remote tier-3, and tier-4 cities. According to the report, the situation is liquid and the time and volume estimates could change further. 

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The dent in iPhone production comes at a time when Apple is busy catering to high holiday season demand in Western and European markets. The lower volumes could hit overall targets of the iPhone maker.

Last week, Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant witnessed worker protests on a massive scale. Workers were seen damaging company property, including some surveillance cameras. The agitation stemmed from issues like late payments to strict covid restrictions. Foxconn acknowledged the issue of payments and attributed it to a 'technical error'. They claimed to have resolved the issue. However, the very next day over 20,000 workers were reported to have left the company. The lower workforce could also be a contributing factor to lower production volume.

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The Apple iPhone 14 Pro series buyers might witness a longer waiting period. However, the standard iPhone 14 devices will continue to sell within normal delivery timelines. In India, Foxconn and Pegatron have been handed out contracts to produce iPhone 14 devices. Local production helps alleviate the issue of supply shortage.