Demand for iPhone 14 Pro models from tech giant Apple has exceeded its capacity to produce mobile phones, media reports said.
In a note to investors, UBS analyst David Vogt examined wait times for Apple’s Pro line of smartphones using information that tracks iPhone availability in 30 countries, AppleInsider reports.
According to the report, the waiting time for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in the US has increased by five to 25 days.
UBS collected the data before the current lockdown in China, which may have affected production.
Meanwhile, Apple’s supply chain faced further problems in China as panicked workers at the Foxconn factory that makes the new iPhone 14 series in the city of Zhengzhou were seen walking out last week amid fresh Covid-19 fears.
The factory in the Henan provincial capital employs around 3,00,000 workers.
The development could slow the production of Apple’s flagship devices in the coming months.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo tweeted that more than 10 percent of global iPhone production capacity is currently affected as Foxconn’s factory in Zhengzhou suddenly entered a closed loop without warning.
iPhone 14 Pro is not available in stores
Apple iPhone 14 Pro is reportedly running out of stock in stores worldwide. Many buyers have reported that the phone is not even available in official Apple stores. According to market analysts, demand for iPhone 14 Pro models has exceeded its capacity to produce phones. In the US, the waiting time for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max has been extended by 25 days.
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As Apple Insider reports, UBS analyst David Vogt studied iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max wait times using data that tracks iPhone availability in 30 countries. The UBS tracker revealed that the waiting time for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max has increased by 5 to 25 days.
Earlier, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said he had spoken to Apple regarding the shortage of the iPhone 14 Pro in Delhi stores. He also revealed that Apple is dealing with supply constraints.
In a tweet, he said: “I spoke to Apple and they said that while iPhone14 demand is also being met by Indian manufacturing, demand for iPhone14 has surged and is facing supply constraints which they are addressing,” he tweeted.
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“Private sales are probably ‘alternative’ supply channels,” he added.
Notably, with three suppliers in India, Apple manufactures the iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 in the country. The iPhone 14 has also been added to the list. As reported by Bloomberg News, Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron Corp has started assembling the iPhone 14 in India. On the other hand, the Pro models are all imported.
In related news, Apple is reportedly planning to move manufacturing centers out of China due to the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing. One reason it may not be so easy to move production out of China is that most iPhone components are made in the country, according to Counterpoint senior analyst Ivan Lam.