According to a new report today, at least one iPhone 14 model was verified and tested three weeks later than planned due to the anti epidemic sealing control faced by the OEM in China, which may affect the first batch of production in the worst case. According to sources in Nikkei Asia, although the restrictions have been relaxed, it is said that the closure in Shanghai and surrounding areas since the end of March has had a lingering impact on Apple's supply chain.
"It's challenging to make up for lost time... Apple The company and its suppliers are working around the clock to speed up progress, "said an apple supplier executive, adding that the pace of recovery at the Shanghai plant" is quite slow. "
It is reported that the company has been required to speed up the production of products before the delay of the company's plan to make up for the loss of time. Apple is expected to launch four new [iPhones] this year( https://apple.pvxt.net/c/1251234/435400/7639?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apple.com%2Fcn%2Fiphone%2F ) Model. After seeing the weak sales of iPhone 13 mini, apple is providing larger screens for its flagship devices in 2022: 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 pro, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 max, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro max.
It is unclear which model is directly affected by the delay caused by the closure. According to Nikkei news sources, at present, all four iPhone 14 models are in the development stage of engineering verification test (EVT). Generally, all new iPhone models complete EVT and enter the verification stage by the end of June.
After the development stage of the new iPhone, Apple's main assemblers Foxconn and husuo will enter a stage called new product introduction (NPI), during which the manufacturing process will be outlined for the latest design. NPI is followed by several verification processes, usually starting around the end of August, followed by large-scale mass production.
"If the development process can be accelerated and enter the next stage around the end of June or early July, it should still be possible to meet the mass production deadline in early September," said another person familiar with the matter. "But it really depends on whether the process can accelerate quickly."
It is said that due to the restrictions on life and travel in Shanghai, production continues to be affected, and the operation of the whole supply chain has not fully returned to normal.
Senior Supply Chain Analyst Qiu Shifang told Nikkei that this situation may not only affect production, but also affect the development of new products. "It will take at least one to two months to restore the supply chain."