Apple should hold its iPhone 14 launch event in mid-September, assuming there will be no delays to its regular schedule this year. After Apple’s record March 2022 quarter results, we explained that there’s at least a theoretical risk for the 2022 iPhones to see slight delays. That’s because of the new lockdowns in China that affected all supply chains in the region, including Apple’s.
The company did not offer any guidance for the June quarter. But Apple said that it expects a revenue hit as big as $8 billion for the period. The COVID-19 restrictions in China will be to blame, Apple explained. The decision not to announce guidance mimicked the 2020 behavior.
The difference is that the pandemic isn’t in the same place as a couple of years ago. And the restrictions seem to be lifting. Moreover, a new report says that iPhone 14 production might start earlier than usual. If real, this is good news for the iPhone 14 launch schedule. Apple might be working hard to prevent any sort of delays.
The delay worries
If United Daily News has accurate information about Foxconn, Apple has instructed the iPhone assembler to start recruiting personnel for the upcoming iPhone 14 orders. This might mean that Apple will begin production earlier than usual for the new iPhone flagship series.
Apple is looking to prevent iPhone 14 launch delays amid the uncertainty in China. As a result, Foxconn is supposedly conducting a massive recruitment campaign at its factory in Zhengzhou. The report notes that Foxconn has increased the bonuses by 30% to attract new workers.
The Zhengzhou region has not seen lockdowns similar to other regions in China, so iPhone production seems unaffected. If anything, Foxconn is looking to raise production at the facility and take advantage of the increased demand for the iPhone 13.
Reports said recently that the handset is selling so well that Apple raised orders for the current quarter. Moreover, market research reports showed that the iPhone 13 outsold its predecessors. Also, Apple is the only big smartphone vendor to see an increase in sales for the first quarter of the year.
But the iPhone 14 release is even more important for Apple. That’s why reports that say Foxconn is on a hiring spree make sense.
If Apple fears delays, so are Foxconn and other Apple suppliers. Ensuring there are enough employees to keep production going will be a significant priority considering there’s no way to predict how the pandemic will continue to impact manufacturing in China in the coming months.
When will the iPhone 14 launch?
Separately, a report in late March said that the iPhone 14 series reached the engineering validation test (EVT) stage of development. Apple reached the stage without encountering COVID-related delays, an analyst said.
But that’s not something Apple would ever comment on publicly. Moreover, it’s only May, which means it’s way too early for Apple to make any sort of iPhone 14 launch remarks.
If delays were in order, we’d expect the company to announce them during the July 2022 earnings call. That’s what Apple did in 2020 when the iPhone 12 launch moved to mid-October.
Assuming everything goes according to plan and Apple can launch the iPhone 14 on time, we’d expect an iPhone event in mid-September. Tuesday, the 13th, makes sense as a possible date. Preorders would start on the 16th, while the iPhone 14 release date would be September 23rd. This is just speculation, however, based on Apple’s usual September launch schedule for new iPhones.
As for the iPhone 14 announcement event, it should be announced a few weeks ahead of the mid-September launch date.
More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
