China quarantine due to new COVID-19 cases could affect Apple iPhone production: report

China is seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases. About 30,000 cases of COVID-19 infection are recorded daily in the country. Due to the record high number of cases, the government has quarantined several regions. The sudden lockdown has disrupted social and economic activities. Unsurprisingly, the lockdown has also forced manufacturers to close their factories. A new Bloomberg report claims that the lockdown is also affecting the production of Apple’s iPhone models in China. The report said the government has declared Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone a quarantine zone.

This means that no one can leave their home until further notice. How will this affect iPhone production? Foxconn, one of Apple’s largest suppliers, has a plant in the region that has been quarantined.

Impact of quarantine in China on iPhone production

Apple may see the impact of the China lockdown in several regions due to rising COVID-19 cases. A Bloomberg report says that the Foxconn plant, which is the world’s largest iPhone assembly plant, is located in the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone. The recently introduced quarantine to contain cases of COVID-19 could affect the supply chain. Foxconn has ordered its employees to undergo mandatory Covid testing in recent days, the report says. Foxconn and Apple did not immediately respond to email inquiries about whether the lockdown would affect operations.

This is not the first time that a sudden lockdown has affected iPhone shipments in China. Foxconn had previously suspended production in Shenzhen due to lockdown due to the COVID outbreak.

The new restrictions could result in the loss of between 6 million and 10 million iPhones. Along with the iPhone, production of the MacBook Pro and the new fifth-generation iPad Air are also expected to have an impact. This will also delay delivery to the end user.

The report also states that other Apple suppliers such as Pegatron and Quanta Computer have ceased operations in eastern China due to new restrictions. Apple or Foxconn did not comment on requests sent to Bloomberg. Apple currently manufactures the iPhone 13 in India along with the iPhone 12 and several other iPhone models. Thus, India may not face a shortage in the supply of non-professional iPhone models.