According to media reports on Wednesday, the Covid-19 lockdowns in China are likely to impede the development of at least one of Apple’s upcoming flagship iPhones this year, which has fallen behind schedule.
According to Nikkei Asia, the tech giant has “told suppliers to accelerate product development efforts to make up for lost time,” which could “impact the manufacturing schedule and initial production volumes of the new phones.”
Lockdowns in and around Shanghai began in late March as part of China’s strict zero-Covid policy, and the impact on supply chains has remained even after restrictions were eased.
“It is challenging to make up for the lost time. Apple and its suppliers are working around the clock to speed up development,” an executive with an Apple supplier was quoted as saying in the report.
The ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns in China are expected to have a significant impact on Apple revenue for the April-June quarter, with the company predicting a $8 billion loss in sales, owing primarily to the Shanghai lockdown.
This year, the company is planning four new iPhone models: the iPhone 14, 14 Pro, 14 Max, and 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 and Pro models will have 6.1-inch displays, while the Max and Pro Max models will have 6.7-inch displays.
However, Apple may discontinue the 5.4-inch iPhone mini this year.
According to the report, the four new phones are currently in the engineering verification test (EVT) stage of development.
Apple, Pegatron, and Foxconn did not respond to the report.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated last week during an earnings call that “we have estimated the constraints to be in the range of $4 to $8 billion and these constraints are primarily centred around the Shanghai corridor”.
“The Covid-related disruptions are also having some impact on customer demand in China,” added Apple CFO Luca Maestri.
