Apple, the world’s most desired mobile maker has an important update for you. And unfortunately, this Apple update is not so encouraging. If the rumors are to be taken as authentic the US-based tech giant is on the plan of postponing the launch of its much-awaited 5G iPhone models for months. As per the latest media reports, the outbreak of coronavirus could have changed the launch plan. Apple, the same as other companies could have also been hit by lessened supplies. The Cupertino firm originally was anticipated to unveil its latest iPhone mobiles in September. An analyst of JPMorgan even mentioned in a new note that the unveiling of 5G models may get delayed by 1 or 2 months.
The Nikkei Asian Review reports that discussed the likelihood of postponing the commencement of the mobile said that the company has held internal conferences to that extent. One amongst the main reasons beyond the delay is the lowered demand of smartphones in the market due to the havoc caused by the coronavirus.
In addition to this health emergency, the company is also facing shortened supplies due to the shutdown of most of the manufacturing units in China, India and rest of the other nations where the virus is spreading rapidly forcing the shutdown of auxiliary manufacturing units.
As per the sources, Apple has 4 different 5G models which were all supposed to hit the market later in this year. It is also believed that the company directed all of its supply providers to manufacture about 100 million units of its new models for this year. On the same lines, replicas for these novel models were planned for development from this March first week. However, all these plans got a heavy setback due to the global pandemic.
As reported by a business journal one source said, “Apple will make a final decision around May at the latest, given the fluid situation globally.”
Suppliers have not yet been officially notified of the delay, the report said, adding that Apple is urging many of them to fill in the gap due to coronavirus-related issues.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple in a very recent interview emphasized that this slowdown triggered due to the medical emergency is temporary and not a long-standing one.
The mobile maker has even recently reopened a few of its retail shops in China to pass over the obstacles to a certain extent.
Apple has supposedly ordered a few component suppliers to postpone bulk production for nearly 2 or 3 months.
Analysts of JPMorgan have also speculated in their notes the postponement in the commencement of 5G iPhone phones. According to CNBC, the same analysts said that the delay is due to reasons such as travel restrictions, slow growth of 5G networks in world markets and less production.
Retail stores of Apple other than in China are shut down due to COVID-19. Likewise, most of the firm’s workforce is working from home.
As quoted by the news source Gokul Hariharan, JPMorgan analyst in the note targeting at Apple’s chip manufacturer TSMC said, “Given multiple bottlenecks in EVT (engineering verification test, now scheduled in mid-April) and PVT (Production verification test) and pilot production (now scheduled for late June) due to recent travel restrictions imposed globally, we believe that a 1-2 month delay in iPhone launch could indeed happen, but we do not believe that a one-to-two quarter delay is very likely.”
Apple already falls back in the 5G models’ race since Huawei and Samsung have already introduced theirs.
If anticipations are true, the 5G iPhone mobiles would come in 2 variants comprising 6GB RAM. The models would even possess an all latest Apple A14 chip and custom antenna design.
In contrast to the above report, Bloomberg in the last week mentioned that the release of this phone would happen as per schedule.
However, Apple did not make any comments on both the reports officially.
