Apple to lose 6 million in iPhone Pros amid China factory protest

Updated: Nov 28, 2022 / 12:42 PM CST

FILE- In this Jan. 3, 2019, file photo the Apple logo is displayed at the Apple store in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Apple Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market close, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022.(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

(NewsNation) — Apple could fall short of its production target of close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year, Bloomberg reported Monday.

This comes amid workers at the world’s biggest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, protesting delayed bonus payments and poor living conditions caused by China’s strict COVID-19 restrictions.

The exact size of the shortfall still remains unclear and will likely depend on manufacturer Foxconn’s ability to hire enough workers for the iPhone assembly line to keep up with production targets, according to Bloomberg.

Citing a source, Bloomberg said Apple and its contract manufacturer Foxconn expect to be able to make up that shortfall in 2023.

Apple had cut its production target earlier this month for the iPhone 14 by 3 million units due to COVID-19-related disruptions at the Foxconn plant. That number has now been revised by double, according to the report.

Although sales of the cheaper iPhone 14 and 14 Plus have slowed down, the pricier iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have continued to remain in strong demand in the U.S., according to the report.

The company’s shares were down 1.87% in pre-market trading Monday morning following the report.