It may be easier to get your hands on future iPhones from Apple, such as the iPhone 15 that we expect to see in September 2023, although the company may drop Foxconn as the main phone maker.
While Apple designs its own phones, Foxconn assembles the likes of the iPhone 14, and manufactures smartphones on a mass scale to reach the millions who order Cupertino phones. But the ongoing protests at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory, along with other supply chain disruptions, have led to Apple losing millions of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro shipments.
In fact, Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo estimates that Apple could lose 20 million shipments of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in the current holiday quarter. As a result, Kup believes Apple could drop Foxconn as the exclusive supplier for the iPhone 14 lineup.
“In addition to facing the challenge of lower-than-expected iPhone shipments/revenue in Q4 2020, it will also be difficult for Hon Hai to [Foxconn] To continue to be the exclusive assembler of the iPhone 15 Pro series because Apple wants to diversify supply risks,” Kuo explained in a statement. Medium post (Opens in a new tab).
This may sound bad, but it could eventually be useful for iPhone fans. This is because if Apple moves away from Foxconn, it may turn to several manufacturers to make its phones. This means not relying on a single manufacturer, which may cause malfunctions and thus default on iPhone shipments.
We’ve seen issues like this happen before with wait times for some iPhone models increasing rapidly once pre-orders start rolling in. This can be frustrating if you’ve been waiting to upgrade, only to then find that you need to wait weeks or even longer to get the latest iPhone.
Of course, economic issues and component supply can still lead to some production and shipping challenges, which may mean that the iPhone 15 range is still plagued by delays. This could become particularly relevant if Apple launches the iPhone 15 Ultra, and it is expected to be even more premium on the iPhone Pro Max, along with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. More models mean more manufacturing requirements.
And the iPhone 15 numbers have already accumulated to present a number of new challenges. With USB-C, solid-state buttons, and camera upgrades like a periscope telephoto lens, the iPhone 15 lineup could bring some more notable upgrades than the iPhone 14, which only has Dynamic Island on the Pro models as its standout feature.
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