No, this is not a story from a couple of years ago although the headline might bring back some bad memories of the beginning of the COVID pandemic in late 2019/early 2020. According to Reuters, contract manufacturer Foxconn said today that the number of iPhone units being produced at its largest factory in China remains normal. That’s despite tightening COVID restrictions in the city of Zhengzhou where the facility is located.
Foxconn made some rule changes of its own in an attempt to prevent COVID from spreading throughout the campus in Zhengzhou. Workers, who live on the campus, are no longer permitted to eat together in the dining hall and must consume their meals in the dormitories according to a message posted on WeChat by Foxconn. There are 300,000 workers at this factory and Zhengzhou has experienced a new COVID outbreak with 196 new cases since October 8th.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visits a Foxconn assembly line
Meanwhile, Foxconn told Reuters that the “Zhengzhou (plant) still maintains normal production and has little impact (from the situation).” Apple released the new 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max on September 16th. The 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus was delayed until October 7th, although a new rumor has Apple cutting production of this model.
Earlier this year, Foxconn briefly shut the factory in Shenzhen due to a new outbreak of COVID. The plant quickly reopened. The manufacturer, headquartered in Taiwan, is Apple’s largest supplier when it comes to the iPhone with several facilities in China and India churning out Apple’s most important product.
Bloomberg reports that cases of COVID throughout China have hit the highest total in two months. Last Sunday, for example,1,878 new COVID cases were reported in the country. The pandemic not only affected the production of iPhone units back in 2020, it also impacted the selling of the devices worldwide thanks to the closing of Apple Stores outside of China during the beginning of the worst stretch of the pandemic back in March 2020.
