O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: district

  • Continued COVID-19 lockdowns in China could lead to six million iPhone 14 unit production shortfall this year

    Continued COVID-19 lockdowns in China could lead to six million iPhone 14 unit production shortfall this year

    It might be harder to get the iPhone you want given the current situation in Chia.

    As the labor and protest scenarios continue to worsen given GOVID-19 lockdowns, civil disobedience has erupted due to people’s frustrations about the zero-COVID policy. As a result, Apple stands to lose around 6 million units of iPhone production in China.

    Per Bloomberg, turmoil has erupted recently at Apple’s key manufacturing hub in Zhengzhou that could lily result in a production shortfall of roughly six million iPhone Pro and iPhone Max units this year. Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturing partner for the premium iPhones, has been affected by the worsening COVID-19 lockdowns within China. While the Bloomberg article said the situation remains fluid and could change for a variety of reasons, this did not stop Apple from lowering its iPhone production target to about 87 million devices. Previously, the company estimated to produce 90 million iPhone units this year.

    At this stage, Foxconn must quickly get its workers back to the assembly lines. Last week, workers staged a violent protest against COVID-19 restrictions. This came alongside worsening conditions outside of the Foxconn plant. Reports said that protest actions were held in Shanghai due to people’s frustrations over restrictive COVID-19 measures and the government’s zero-COVID policy. According to Reuters, an unprecedented wave of civil disobedience has surfaced, complete with protestors voicing frustrations over President Xi’s zero-COVID policy.

    As of now, Foxconn is the key manufacturer for its more in-demand iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max handsets. With the onset of the holiday shopping season, users often upgrade their iPhones, and Apple is likely to experience supply constraints.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer, Bloomberg, and Reuters

  • Apple faces class action lawsuit regarding 2016 MacBook Pro “Flexgate” defect

    If you’re irate about technical difficulties with your 2016 MacBook Pro notebook, there could be some justice down the line.

    Apple is on the receiving end of a nationwide, class action lawsuit over a defect in the 2016 MacBook Pro notebooks. The suit, nicknamed “Flexgate,” is represented by Mahan Taleshpour et al. v. Apple, Inc., United States District Court Northern District of California, Case No. Case 5:20-cv-03122-VKD. 

    The suit, which has been filed in the Northern District of California, claims that Apple knew about the defect in the MacBooks and concealed it from customers. The defect involves a thin, flexible cable that rubbed against internal hardware components every time these models are opened and closed.

    Per the complaint, Apple apparently sold customers an extended warranty plan that only covered part of the repair cost, the repair program allegedly failing to fix a large number of these MacBooks. Lead plaintiff Mahan Taleshpour, who purchased a 2016 MacBook Pro for about $2,500 in April 2017, noted that the screen began to fail in January 2020. He brought it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider who told him AppleCare didn’t cover the repair and would cost US$850.

    PARRIS Law Firm attorney R. Rex Parris:

    Imagine spending more than $2,500 on a laptop only for it to fail shortly after the manufacturer’s warranty expires. What’s even more appalling is Apple requiring customers to spend an additional $600 to $850 to replace the screen.

    If you’ve seen this issue on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via The Mac Observer and Parris

  • Philadelphia school district avoids spying charges in 2009 MacBook case

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    Per the Associated Press, a Philadelphia school district has avoided charges from federal prosecutors following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the MacBook spying case. US Attorney David Memeger claims investigators could not find any evidence of criminal intent by school employees.

    Following up on a controversy from last year, the school district admitted to retaining thousands of screenshots from MacBook webcams provided to students. The images were reportedly used to help recover missing laptops, although several employees referred to the pictures as a “soap opera.” The tracking system was also said to have been activated on a number of occasions after the computers were recovered.

    Although prosecutors declined to file charges, the school district was sued by a student and his family over invasion of privacy. The lawsuit has yet to be settled outside of court.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.