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Foxconn factory protests could reportedly delay production of nearly 6 million iPhone Pro units

Apple has been forced to address the depth of shortfall it could face in iPhone production amid a protest at a Foxconn iPhone factory in China.

TJ Denzer

November 28, 2022 10:45 AM

Image via Foxconn

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It would seem iPhone production out of a Foxconn factory in China will put a far greater damper on iPhone Pro unit supply than expected. Earlier in November, Foxconn and Apple shared concerns over production stalls at said iPhone factory due to new and strict COVID-19 lockdown regulations. This was further exacerbated by protests at the same factory that broke out last week. Now, it would appear that Apple could fall about 6 million units below expectations due to all of the Foxconn factory issues.

The overall estimated shortfall of iPhone production at the Chinese Foxconn factory was reported by Bloomberg. According to sources familiar, Foxconn and Apple have taken stock of the situation and estimated that production of iPhone Pro models will fall 6 million units short of expectations as the companies desperately attempt to alleviate the setbacks dealt to the factory throughout November. The 6 million unit estimate is not final and could be affected by whether or not Foxconn is able to get workers back to the assembly line in a timely manner.

The issues with said factory began early in November 2022 when new and harsh COVID-19 restrictions Zhengzhou, China put pressure on the iPhone manufacturing plant. Apple had already addressed this would cause issues to iPhone supply at the time, but then protests broke out at the Foxconn factory with workers getting violent over the delay of pay bonuses in addition to COVID-19 pressures. Unrest has been heavy at the factory amid this protests and, even as Foxconn works to quell the situation, all of these issues have compounded to further stall iPhone manufacturing and lower expectations.

With iPhone orders already stalled and beginning to slip past Christmas delivery dates, it will remain to be seen if Apple and Foxconn can stabilize the matter. Nonetheless, iPhone Pro models are likely to continue to be in short supply over the next few months.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.