iPhone 14 has been a joint creation of China and the United States, Apple is difficult to leave China

Chinese Production Helps iPhone Boom

Apple's reliance on Chinese manufacturing has also paid off during much of the epidemic. Analysts say steady production in China has helped Apple increase its smartphone market share, selling the most iPhones ever, despite periods of discontinued production in other countries in 2020 and 2021. that's a remarkable achievement for an iPhone that's more than a decade old. It has now shifted from offering revolutionary innovations to incremental improvements.

Analysts expect Apple to release four iPhone 14 models this year with smaller "bangs" for face recognition than previous models. Apple is releasing iPhone 14 a week earlier this year than it has in the past, which could boost revenue in the current quarter by adding a week of sales. Apple is also expected to raise the price of the iPhone 14 Pro model by $100 to more than $1,600 to offset some of the impact of higher component costs.

Apple is hoping that iPhone 14 builds on the success of the past few years. While other smartphone makers are cutting production due to the global economic downturn, Apple is asking its suppliers to produce more phones than it did a year ago, according to financial firm Heineken International Group. The increase in manufacturing orders is a testament to the resilience of Apple's wealthy customers, whose deep pockets have enabled them to buy high-priced smartphones in the face of rising inflation and recession.

"There's a huge wealth gap in consumer spending in the smartphone industry," said Wayne Lam, a technology analyst at research firm CCS Insight, noting that "Apple is safe relative to its competitors."

When the news media and Apple employees gather at Apple's California headquarters early Thursday morning Beijing time for the iPhone 14 launch, Apple will emphasize what the phone does, not how it's made. The only sign of change in the process will be the flights in and out of nearby San Francisco International Airport.

A promotional banner for U.S. airline United Airlines shows that Apple used to spend $150 million a year on United flights. Former Apple employees recall filling business class seats with Apple employees on their flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong before the outbreak.

And now, United no longer offers nonstop flights from San Francisco to Hong Kong. It flies nonstop to Shanghai four days a week.