On March 26, according to foreign media reports, according to people familiar with the matter, Apple is preparing to delay the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020 for several months. It is expected that the new iPhone will support 5G technology.
According to reports, due to concerns about iPhone sales in the current situation, Apple has held internal discussions on the possibility of delaying the "several months" release. Supply chain sources also believe that "actual obstacles" could delay the launch date originally scheduled for September.
A source familiar with the discussion said: "Aside from supply chain restrictions, Apple is concerned that the current situation will significantly reduce consumers' desire to upgrade their phones, which may lead to flat sales of their first 5G iPhone, and they need the first 5G phones are a huge success. "
Apple is monitoring trends in new coronavirus outbreaks in the United States and Europe, and assessing whether it is necessary to postpone the launch. The final decision may be made around May at the latest, and Apple may wait until the employee's home work order is cancelled before finalizing the final release schedule.
Apple told employees this week that it plans to extend the global work-from-home order to April 8, while retail stores will resume operations in batches in mid-April. Sources said that Apple's retail stores in the United States will not be among the first to open.
It is reported that the engineering development of the 2020 iPhone lineup is affected by travel restrictions to the United States, China and elsewhere. Apple had originally planned to work with suppliers in early March to develop a "more specific prototype" for the new iPhone, but had to postpone the cooperation until the end of this month and then postpone it again.
The supplier believes that given Apple's position in the engineering process, the possibility of delay is "very high." However, some suppliers have been informed that their mass production plans have been postponed for about two to three months.
A printed circuit board-related component supplier said: "We have been notified to begin mass shipments by the end of August to welcome Apple's new product launch, rather than sometime in June, as in previous years. Shipment. This change was made only recently, which could mean that mass production of the phone may also be delayed for several months. "
Currently, suppliers have not been notified of possible changes to production schedules, and Apple is urging many of them to make up for the time lost due to recent disruptions. One of the sources interviewed said: "We have not given up and are doing our best to solve this problem."
It is said that Apple's discussions are still in the early stages, and the possibility of holding the autumn conference has not yet been "fully ruled out." However, in worse cases, the 5G iPhone may be delayed until 2021.
US media recently reported that despite Apple's supply chain disruption, the iPhone 12 models will still be released in the fall. Foxconn said this week that it now has enough workers to meet Apple's "seasonal production needs."
There have been rumors that Apple is developing four new models for 2020, and these models will be available at different price points. All models are expected to have 5G functions and A14 chips, and higher-end models are expected to be equipped with 3D camera systems such as LiDAR Scanner used on the iPad Pro.
The company's stock price fell later on Wednesday trading day after news that Apple might delay the release of the iPhone 12. Apple shares closed at $ 245.52, down 0.55%. During the stock market rally, Apple most of the time rose, hitting a high of $ 257.89.
Since 2011, Apple has launched a new iPhone every September or October. In most years, the successful launch of new devices is critical to the company, which accounts for more than half of Apple's revenue.
Not long ago, the JP Morgan analysts predicted that for various reasons, Apple may delay the release of the iPhone 12 for one to two months, but it is unlikely to delay it for too long.
The outbreak of the new coronavirus has brought several challenges to Apple's business, including the disruption of its China-based manufacturing supply chain, and the shutdown of the economy to reduce the epidemic in many countries has led to a decline in consumer demand for high-end equipment. Market research firm Strategy Analytics estimates that global smartphone shipments fell by 38% in February from a year earlier.
