Will the iPhone 14 lineup face delays? Kuo weighs in

A report from early this week suggested Apple and its suppliers were struggling with iPhone 14 production due to COVID-19 lockdowns in China. In addition, an analyst said iPhone 14 Plus/Max production was delayed by three weeks. Now, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that despite that, Apple’s shipping plan for iPhone 14 models is still on track.

Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that the new iPhone 14 Max (not the Pro) is running behind, but it’s still under control currently. He wrote:

My latest channelk checks suggest that Apple has not changed the shipping plan for the iPhone 14 models since the Shanghai lockdown. iPhone 14 Max is running behind, but it’s still under control currently, and suppliers can work overtime to catch up with the schedule.

Over these past months, Apple and its suppliers have been struggling with production due to China’s zero-COVID policy with strict lockdowns. That said, Ming-Chi Kuo still thinks the iPhone 14 production is on track. He adds:

I believe iPhone 14’s challenges will come from the demand side instead of the supply side.

Earlier today, Bloomberg published that Apple’s iPhone production plans for 2022 are said to be around 220 million units – some 20M lower than the consensus estimates of analysts. It would also represent zero growth in 2021.

The company is asking suppliers to assemble roughly 220 million iPhones, about the same as last year, according to people familiar with its projections, who asked not to be named as they’re not public. Market forecasts have hovered closer to 240 million units, driven by an expected major update to the iPhone in the fall […]

Though the Chinese lockdowns are poised to take a major toll on Apple this quarter, the company expects to manage the turbulence, one of the people said. Foxconn Technology Group, Apple’s main iPhone manufacturer, has been able to keep most facilities running. That includes its largest groups of factories in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.

9to5Mac will be sure to report back once we hear more about the iPhone 14 production. As we’re still almost four months away from Apple unveiling new phones, there’s time for the schedule to change – for better or worse.

Yesterday, 9to5Mac wrote about a possible color for the iPhone Pro series, which could feature a new purple model. Check it out here.