iPhone 14 shipping delays have 'normalized', but you still need to wait 3 weeks for an iPhone 14 Pro

If you are one of the lucky people that received an iPhone 14 this Christmas, congratulations! Enjoy your new flashy smartphone. Not least because Apple’s newest iPhones seem to be exceedingly difficult to come by - especially the “Pro” versions.

According to an article by Apple Insider, the shipping times and in-store availability for the iPhone 14 lineup have “normalized” after the Christmas holidays. This is, at least in part, due to the fact that the COVID-19 outbreaks in Apple facilities that hindered production have somewhat subsided.

According to the source, we are now looking at four-day shipping estimate for the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus and a 22-day one for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. These numbers, however, also depend on the configuration. If a 3-week delay sounds bad, you should know that it really is not.

Ever since the launch of the iPhone 14 back in September, analysts at J.P. Morgan have been monitoring the shipping times and the state of in-store availability for the new lineup. For reference, some iPhone models have routinely been facing ridiculous shipping delays of more than a month at some point or another.

There are three main reasons behind this. Firstly, the global economic downturn has not had a negative impact on Apple’s sales and the demand for the iPhone 14 is exceedingly strong. Secondly, users disproportionately tend to opt for the high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, in favor of the vanilla iPhone 14 and the all-new iPhone 14 Plus.

The disproportionate demand results in the ultra-premium iPhones facing significant shortages which in turn cause staggering delays. Lastly, many seem to forget that the Global Pandemic is not entirely behind us. COVID-19 restrictions are still commonplace in China and they often spell trouble for the American tech giant.

In short - if you received an iPhone 14 Pro or an iPhone 14 Pro Max, consider yourself lucky. Many still have to wait a long time for the privilege of spending more than $1000 on a smartphone.