Apple reportedly slashing iPhone 14 manufacturing capacity to boost iPhone 14 Pro numbers amid strong demand

(Image credit: MKBHD)

Apple has reportedly asked at least one builder to cut its output of new iPhone 14 models in favor of moving manufacturing capacity to the new iPhone 14 Pro, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Speaking via a series of Tweets, Kuo says that "due to strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro models," his surveying of the supply chain has Hon Hai (Foxconn) ready to "witch the production lines of the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 14 Pro models."

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(1/5)Due to strong demand for the iPhone 14 Pro models, my latest survey indicates that Apple has asked Hon Hai to switch the production lines of the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 14 Pro models, which will help improve Apple's product mix/iPhone ASP in 4Q22.September 19, 2022

Since the iPhone 14 lineup went up for pre-order on September 9, the iPhone 14 has proven much easier to get a hold of than either the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. It remained that way throughout the pre-order period, and while the iPhone 14 Plus hasn't yet gone on sale, buyers can still pick on up on its October 7 launch date without issue.

However, anyone buying iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max configurations faces a multi-week wait for delivery, although some stock continues to trickle into Apple Stores for same-day collection.

Kuo believes that Apple is now working to move production away from the iPhone 14 that it already appears able to deal with the demand for, towards models with which it continues to struggle. Kuo believes that Apple's switch is "equivalent to an increase in the shipment forecast of iPhone 14 Pro models in 4Q22 by about 10%."

All of the new iPhones, bar the iPhone 14 Plus, went on sale on September 16. Initial reviews of the Pro models have been hugely positive. However, some have suggested that those with last year's best iPhone — iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max — may want to skip this year if the Dynamic Island and 48-megapixel cameras don't get them excited. As for the iPhone 14, most reviewers agree that it's a small bump over last year's iPhone 13.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.