This Black Friday, many customers who went to Apple stores eager for the company's (AAPL.O) newest high-end phones left empty handed because of production problems in China.
Sally Gannon and her son Michael, who came in search of an iPhone Pro at an Apple shop in Bethesda, were among them.
Similar to this, Abisha Luitel wished to purchase an iPhone 14 Pro for her cousin, who is 21 years old. However, the Apple store she went to was closed. She decided to buy the 12, which was an earlier model.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted in a statement that "iPhone shortages are intensifying and were front and center this morning on Black Friday across multiple shops, Apple Stores, and online platforms."
In reference to the iPhone 14 Pro, he added, "We estimate many Apple Stores currently have shortages depending on model, color, or storage of up to 25%–30% below average heading into a typical December, which is not a positive indicator heading into the Christmas season for Cupertino."
After a source at Apple's supplier Foxconn (2317.TW) informed Reuters on Friday that iPhone production might be further impacted by employee unrest at the factory, Apple's shares closed the day down 2.0%.
A request for comment made to Apple on Friday went unanswered. It indicated in a statement on Nov. 7 that fewer shipments of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were anticipated than had previously been thought.
According to a source who spoke to Reuters, Foxconn manufactures Apple's high-end products, including the most recent iPhone 14 Pro.
The company, the biggest Apple iPhone manufacturing in the world, has been battling with stringent COVID-19 rules that have stoked worker unrest and hampered output in time for Christmas and the Lunar New Year holiday in January.
A staffer at an Apple store in a mall in Bethesda, Maryland, claimed that the 14 Pro and Pro Max were almost completely out of stock. Another worker at a store in Raleigh, North Carolina, claimed that while there were a limited number of iPhone 14s available, the iPhone 14 Plus was totally sold out.
According to Sally Gannon, she and her son were considering getting the iPhone online. She said that a representative from the Apple shop informed them that an internet phone order will arrive on December 28.
This week, the American electronics retailer Best Buy issued a warning about a possible scarcity of expensive iPhones during the holiday shopping season.
In contrast to the 10 million iPhones sold on Black Friday weekend last year, Wedbush's Ives anticipates sales of 8 million iPhones this year, mostly because of supply issues.
And if you prefer to shop online, he claimed that the new iPhone 14 Pro has wait periods of up to 40 days on Apple's website. He predicted that these wait times will continue to increase over the ensuing weeks as more people look for iPhone Pros to buy as gifts.