Once again, Apple has big plans for its annual September reveal. Still, countless leaks and rumors of the new iPhone have spread over the past couple of months. From the leaks, we’ve gathered that there will be four new iPhone models at the event this year. Now, there are reports that Apple has delayed mass production of the smartphones due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus has impacted just about everything in our daily lives. Many of us were wondering how the virus would affect Apple since its production is based in China. A new report from The Wall Street Journal states that COVID-19 has in fact impacted Apple’s iPhone 12 plans. While the overall design and technical specs of the phone have been finalized, manufacturing and supply chains are struggling. Because of this, even if Apple reveals the models in September, customers may have to wait a considerable time to get their hands on one.
Another factor to account for is how many people will shell out money to purchase a new device this year. While it’s normal for some to upgrade their phone annually, many people may choose to save their money due to our current pandemic. Nonetheless, Apple may see decreased iPhone sales later this year, despite the big updates. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, an expert on current and rumored Apple products, believes the coronavirus will negatively impact iPhone shipments by 10%.
All in all, we’ll have to wait for September to know for sure just how delayed the iPhone 12 will be. If anything, we may see a delay similar to the iPhone X back in 2017. The X was announced in September but did not make it to stores until November due to manufacturing issues.
