Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

iPhone factory in Shenzhen hit by new COVID-19 lockdown

Apple supplier Foxconn has announced the temporary closure of two of its manufacturing sites in Shenzhen, China, in response to a COVID-19-related lockdown imposed on the city’s 17 million inhabitants on Sunday, March 13.

Foxconn is closing two sites in the southern metropolis, one of which manufactures Apple’s iPhone, Bloomberg reported. In an effort to minimize the impact, the manufacturing giant said it would shift production to other sites outside Shenzhen.

Related Videos

According to news outlet Nikkei Asia, Shenzhen is Foxconn’s second-largest manufacturing hub in China. Its main facility for producing iPhones is in Zhengzhou, a city 840 miles to the north.

News of the shutdown comes as Apple prepares to start shipping its new iPhone SE (2022) handset, which the tech giant unveiled at a special event last week.

With pre-orders already open, buyers are currently being told that the new handset is available for in-store pick up on Friday, March 18, with shipping dates in the U.S. currently showing for late March. Whether Foxconn’s factory closure impacts shipping times for the new iPhone SE, or indeed any of its available handsets, remains to be seen.

It’s also too early to say if the lockdown in Shenzhen will impact delivery dates for Apple’s other new products, including the Mac Studio desktop that was unveiled at the same time as the iPhone SE (2022). How the lockdown will affect other global tech firms is also hard to gauge at this early stage.

Shenzhen’s week-long lockdown forces the closure of all non-essential businesses and comes in response to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in what is one of the world’s busiest tech manufacturing hubs. China has been operating a zero-COVID policy since the start of the pandemic, a strategy that prompts swift lockdowns and mass testing in affected areas.

The lockdown comes as major tech firms continue to grapple with the global chip shortage, which was also caused by the ongoing pandemic.

Digital Trends has reached out to Apple for more information on the current situation in Shenzhen and we will update this article when we hear back.

Editors' Recommendations

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is big news for cheap phones
Hand holding up a smartphone against a city background with Qualcomm Snapdragon7+ Gen 2 logo.

Qualcomm has taken the wraps off its Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, the next generation of its midrange mobile platform. The new chip is designed to deliver powerful entertainment experiences and performance gains to a broader range of smartphones.

The new platform is an evolution of last year’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which was already a leap beyond the older Snapdragon 700 series it replaced. It began closing the gap with the premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 — a trend that continues with this year’s Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2.

Read more
I love the Galaxy S23 — here are 5 things the iPhone still does better
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 has arrived to the masses, and it’s one of the best Android phones you can get right now, especially the S23 Ultra. However, for those who don’t need all of the fancy bells and whistles, like the S Pen and 200MP main camera, the regular S23 is also plenty powerful for the average person, especially if you prefer smaller devices.

I’ve been using the Galaxy S23 for the past few weeks, and so far, my experience has been delightful. I know that it’s still early on in the year, but for me, the S23’s small size is perfect and comfortable. Android also does a lot of things better than iOS, like individual volume controls and notifications, for example. But I am still primarily using my iPhone 14 Pro — despite Apple having some big flaws, such as overprocessing images after you capture them.

Read more
5 things we’d love to see at Google I/O 2023 (but probably won’t)
Google Pixel Watch on a wrist.

Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, kicks off on May 10. Don't let the words "developer conference" put you off, though, as Google I/O is one of the biggest and most exciting shows of the year.

We've already covered what we expect to see at Google I/O 2023, and that list includes the Pixel 7a, Android 14, and even a Google Pixel Fold. But although those are all things we're really looking forward to and expecting to see, there are a number of reveals we'd also love to happen ... but are extremely unlikely to appear on the grand stage.

Read more