iPhone 14 Presentation May Be Delayed Because of Lockdowns in China; Always On Display Feature Expected in iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 model series as well as new Apple Watches and AirPods Pro 2 were slated to make an entrance at the upcoming Apple event this September. It’s all up in the air, though, since Apple suppliers in China are taking a hit and are currently behind the development schedule. Covid lockdowns throughout the country are delaying the process, and the manufacturers may not be able to catch up in time. In a bit of additional news, the iPhone 14 Pro has been rumored to feature an enhanced ProMotion display panel, which may potentially include the long-awaited Always On Display feature.
Apple has requested the suppliers engaged in the production chain of the iPhone 14 series, Foxconn and Pegatronfirst and foremost, to boost the manufacturing speed and stay on schedule. Luxshare Precision is another supplier for two of the four models. These companies are experiencing a negative impact of the Covid-related postponed plant re-openings, particularly in the Shanghai area. Apple may lose as much as $8 billion if this problem is not remediated.
June is the time when novel iPhone models are supposed to approach the engineering verification test (EVT) development phase. This year, however, at least one of the iPhone 14 models is likely to be at least three weeks behind schedule. Supposedly, Apple will enter the production stage in late August/early September, but China’s supply chain is still trying to recover from the lockdown-related issues.