Apple’s primary iPad supplier Foxconn has reportedly resumed iPad production after power outages in China, caused by the country’s worst heatwave in 60 years, affected production earlier in the month, with a report from Nikkei Asia (via 9to5Mac) claiming that factories are now running at normal capacity.
Earlier this month, China’s Department of Energy and Information Technology of Sichuan prioritized electricity for residential users. Some industrial users were told to halt production from August 15 as the country battled extreme heat, with the outages expected to end around August 20.
Nikkei reports that Foxconn has now “restarted factory in Sichuan province” after orders to stop operations expired on Thursday.
The Chengdu plant of Foxconn, which assembles iPads for Apple, began to operate at normal capacity again on Thursday, a person close to the factory confirmed. Authorities appear to be supplying Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, with power on a priority basis, taking into consideration the economic impact on the region.
Apple is expected to announce new iPad models as soon as October, with an M2 iPad Pro rumored alongside a new entry-level iPad.
It is not clear how much impact the closures had on iPad production in China. Stock checks of Apple.com show extended lead times on some iPad models, however, this has been typical since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where Apple has seen high demand for the iPad.
