Apple says cases of COVID-19 have impacted manufacturing capacity, resulting in longer wait times for its iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max phones.
- What is happening? Apple acknowledged that people who order the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max will see longer wait times and reduced product availability.
- Why care? Because you want to get your iPhone without waiting too long.
- What to do? This situation could get worse before it gets better. The sooner you order holiday gifts for the Apple fans in your family, the better.
Apple confirms longer delivery times for iPhone 14 Pro
Asian factories making Apple products have been hit by recent COVID-19 cases that have led to lockdowns that have significantly reduced production volumes. Of course, Apple is working with suppliers to return to normal production levels.
In the meantime, a press release published in Apple Newsroom explains why Apple is now expecting lower iPhone 14 Pro shipments and customers will have to wait longer to receive their new phones.
COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily affected the main iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility located in Zhengzhou, China. The facility is currently operating at a significantly reduced capacity. As during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our supply chain workers.
Thus, not only are the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipping with a significant delay (at the time of writing, delivery times in the Apple Store online store were 4-5 weeks), but there is also a decrease in availability across sales channels.
Once COVID-19 is under control and manufacturers decide to ramp up production, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Mac wait times should return to normal (1-3 business days). Read: How to sync iPhone with iPad
For the not so popular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models, there is no time to wait.