iPhone 14 Pro could be difficult to buy after covid lockdowns and protests, report warns

Apple’s new iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max could be difficult to buy because of covid lockdowns and protests in China, a new report has warned.

The company is expected to ship 20 per cent fewer of the phone than expected, according to a report from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The new report is even worse than existing reports, which had already led to worries about supplies of the new phone. The company could be 15-20 million phones shorter than expected – in contrast with previous reports that Apple was 6 million units short.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have already proved difficult to buy, with supply shortages expected to last well beyond Christmas.

The new report suggests those could last even longer, even if those shortages are solved.

Apple’s problems come amid problems caused by covid lockdowns and then protests against those restrictions in China.

The initial issues began when strict lockdown rules went into effect around in China, which affected the plant run by Apple supplier Foxconn. Apple warned then that customers should expect longer than normal waits for the iPhone 14 Pro.

The latest problems come after protests erupted across China against those lockdowns.

Apple has not commented on the shortage but has said that it is engaged with the ongoing protests.

"We have Apple team members on the ground at our supplier Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility,” it said in a statement last week. “We are reviewing the situation and working closely with Foxconn to ensure their employees' concerns are addressed.”

The availability problems could mean that many people simply opt not to buy the iPhone, the new report suggests, rather than waiting until availability improves next year.