The new outbreak has affected the iPhone assembly business of many Apple suppliers such as Pegatron in Shanghai and Kunshan, with the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE 3 being the most serious. An insider said Apple had contacted regulators on the matter to prevent major disruptions in the supply chain.
Due to the impact of the epidemic, Foxconn, Pegatron and other Apple suppliers suspended manufacturing operations in response to epidemic control requirements, and Quanta Computer closed its operations in Shanghai earlier this week, which makes three-quarters of Apple’s MacBook. Reuters reported on Friday that after assessing the lockdown, analysts believe that if these measures continue, the supply of Apple products will face problems.
since the epidemic has not yet been fully controlled, it is not clear how long the containment measures will last, so the final impact on apple’s supply chain is also uncertain. Apple may move its business from shanghai and kunshan to other factories in areas that have not implemented lockdowns, but this will still have many negative impacts on apple’s supply chain.
Isaiah Research analyst Eddie Han told Reuters that if the lockdown continues for two more months, Apple may not be able to adjust orders, and Pegatron’s current 6-10 million iPhone orders may have delivery problems. In this case, as the existing inventory decreases, some markets may experience some iPhone delivery delays.
Tianfeng Securities analyst Guo Mingqi said in the latest tweet that Apple hopes that the closed production line can restart production next week, and fortunately, Foxconn can still maintain production on the current iPhone order, so as to make up for Pegatron’s orders through adjustments. But the more serious impact on Apple’s supply chain is the MacBook, and most of Apple’s laptops are currently produced by Quanta Computers.