Foxconn, Apple's principal subcontractor, locked down its massive factory in Zhengzhou last month after a spike in infections -- in line with China's zero-Covid policy.
BEIJING - Apple said Covid restrictions have "temporarily impacted" production at the world's largest iPhone factory in central China, warning that customers will now face longer wait times ahead of the holiday season.
"Covid-19 restrictions have temporarily impacted the primary iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max assembly facility located in Zhengzhou, China," California-based Apple said in a statement late Sunday.Despite strong demand for Apple's products ahead of the holiday season, "we now expect lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated", it said.
"Foxconn is now working with the government in concerted effort to stamp out the pandemic and resume production to its full capacity as quickly as possible," the company said.'WE ARE DROWNING' "People with fevers are not guaranteed to receive medicine," another Foxconn worker, a 30-year-old man who also asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.China is the last major economy wedded to a strategy of extinguishing Covid outbreaks as they emerge, imposing snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines despite the widespread disruption to businesses and international supply chains.