It’s no longer possible to order a new top-tier iPhone from Apple and have it delivered this year. The iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max are both backordered until early January 2023.
The delay is the result of strong demand for these handsets coupled with production problems in China.
Wait for iPhone 14 Pro is now over 3 weeks
Demand for the latest iPhones is usually strong, but it now outstrips supply to the point where shoppers will have to wait more than three weeks to get either iPhone 14 Pro version.
An order placed Tuesday from the U.S. online Apple Store for any iPhone 14 Pro configuration won’t be delivered until January 6, 2023. The same is true for the iPhone Pro Max. No matter the configuration, an order placed now won’t arrive until the first week of next year.
The situation has actually improved – in November, the wait was six weeks. But that’s cold comfort for anyone who was hoping to buy a iPhone 14 Pro in time for Christmas or Hanukkah.
But there are plenty of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models in stock.
Dual causes for long wait times
The iPhone Pro models have always offered more features than the cheaper options, but Apple made the differences more stark with the iPhone 14 series. The Pro and Pro Max have a faster processor, better cameras and the Dynamic Island.
In contrast, the base model iPhone 14 is almost unchanged from its predecessor. The result is heavier demand for the two Pro models.
Add to that the government-mandated COVID-19 lockdowns in China this fall. The world’s largest iPhone factory in China — owned by Foxconn — went into total lockdown due to COVID outbreaks in the area.
The lockdown was lifted in late November, but the damage had been done. Demand for the latest flagship iOS handsets exceeds the available supply.
