According to various individuals familiar with the situation, Apple Inc has instructed its suppliers to speed up iPhone development after China’s tight COVID-19 lockdowns delayed the timeline for at least one of the new phones.
Last month, iPhone manufacturer Pegatron Corp halted operations at its Shanghai and Kunshan factories owing to China’s zero-COVID policy.
Shanghai’s financial core remains virtually paralyzed by a city-wide lockdown in its seventh week, although Beijing has increased quarantine measures.
Last month, Apple predicted worsening challenges as China’s COVID-19 lockdowns stymied manufacturing and demand, exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine.
Apple’s manufacturing timeline and initial production quantities of the new phones are expected to be harmed in the worst-case scenario, according to the Nikkei business daily.
Requests for response from the media were not immediately returned by Apple or its suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron.
