New Delhi: Aiming to avert the possible delay in the launch of the iPhone 14 series, Apple has decided to start production of the upcoming models earlier than usual. This development comes in the wake of Covid-19-induced lockdowns in China where Apple’s contract manufacturer Foxconn has its production units that could cripple the supply chain, the media has reported. The Cupertino, California-headquartered company had mentioned about supply chain issues caused by lockdowns in China during its earnings call last week.
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To keep up with Apple’s preparations to ensure that the iPhone 14 series launch is not delayed, Foxconn has gone on a massive hiring spree in China and it is offering bigger bonuses. According to a report published by United Daily News, Foxconn generally does not recruit iPhone workers at this time of year, but being since the company’s main iPhone assembly units are located in China’s Zhenzhou city which has thus far escaped full Covid-19 lockdowns, Apple wants to boost capacity there to balance out lost production elsewhere in China.
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According to a report by DigiTimes, the iPhone maker’s supply chain may be severely impacted depending on how long lockdowns persist, potentially even forcing the company to delay the launch of the upcoming iPhone 14 series later this year.
Earlier in April, a report said that Apple is likely to unveil the iPhone 14 line this fall and according to a new leak, an image of metal molds of the purported iPhone 14 series suggested that the company may be doing away with the mini variant this year. The new image showed metal molds in only 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes, thus, suggesting that the iPhone 13 mini was the last mini model in the iPhone lineup.
The image had surfaced on Weibo, and pretty much confirmed previous rumours that the iPhone 14 series will come in only two sizes. The leaked image also showed that Apple will continue with the tradition of adding three sensors at the rear, in the iPhone 14 Pro models. The upcoming iPhone 14 line will, however, not come with periscope cameras, but is likely to feature an upgraded main camera with a 48MP sensor. According to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, only the iPhone 14 Pro models will get the new sensor.
