The novel Coronavirus is affecting unveils and launches of many products so much so that tech-giant Apple is reportedly unlikely to launch its iPhone 9 on March 31 this year. According to a report by IANS citing GizmoChina, Apple has cancelled its product launch planned this month. The iPhone manufacturer was expected to push iPhone SE 2 (also known as iPhone 9) and some other devices like new generation iPad Pro into the markets this month. The move came after Santa Clara County has put a ban on mass gathering temporarily as the number of positive Coronavirus cases is on a rise in the region, the report said.
Moreover, the development of its next-generation iPhone 12 has also been affected. The company’s engineers from Asia are restricted to travel with the onset of the Coronavirus outbreak, the report said. As a result, there are some hindrances for development that could lead to a delayed launch for this product as well. The company has to extent the deadline for engineers who are making business trips to Asia by about one month- which is the April-end. According to the report, these restrictions have led to delayed engineering verification tests (EVTs) which are to be done at manufacturing facilities in China for 5G iPhones.
Apple was supposed to start mass production of its low-cost phone in February, however, it has become challenging for the company to meet the targets. Last month, the Nikkei Asian Review reported that Apple’s suppliers are stuck amidst Coronavirus outbreak, therefore, production is quite slow and will resume its pace slowly. They were asked to produce 80 million units including 15 million units of the low-cost iPhone 9 for the first half of 2020, which is delayed as well. Meanwhile, the company is trying to resolve several issues in China that include labour shortage, and stuck components/ parts due to travel restrictions.