'iPhone 12' production may fall behind schedule because of coronavirus

Apple may be shifting production of the "iPhone SE 2" to Taiwan while "iPhone 12" production could slip behind schedule, according to questionable speculation from within the supply chain.

As the Coronavirus continues to move across mainland China, electronic manufacturers struggle to maintain the balance between moving forward as usual, or suspending operations to lessen disease impact.

According to DigiTimes, Apple has shifted the production of the "iPhone SE 2" to Taiwan, where the Coronavirus has not made significant impact.

According to unnamed sources, DigiTimes believes that the "iPhone 12" is unlikely to enter production in June. They also report that Apple has stopped sending engineers to China to help develop the "iPhone 12". Apple has restricted business travel to China, as discussed by Tim Cook in late January.

DigiTimes track record on predicting Apple product specifics or release timing is notoriously bad. However, it does have a decent track record on examining the supply chain. Wednesday's report falls somewhere in between the extremes of the publication's accuracy record.

That said, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has seen significant uncertainty surrounding iPhone production in China because of the ongoing coronavirus. In an earlier report, he has detailed what he sees so far at Apple assemblers Foxconn and Pegatron.

Kuo believes that Apple has begun manufacturing of the "iPhone 12" in Shenzhen, and that factory has remained staffed to some capacity since the outbreak began. Even with Foxconn struggling to find its footing, Apple has alternative sources, although with smaller output capacities, in Taiwan and India.

Other Apple products, such as AirPods, have begun to see delays related to the 2019 Coronavirus. Apple suppliers are reporting that they don't have enough material or labor needed to assemble products.

11 Comments

eightzero 15 Years · 3151 comments

About 4 years ago

Really hoping that Tim doesn't blurt out in despair, "I'm sick of the coronavirus!"

13485 7 Years · 380 comments

The key word is: "may".

The data is scarce and not at all reliable.

spice-boy 9 Years · 1450 comments

I hope it does, you can all live a few months longer without the newest iPhone, tens of thousands won't live to see that iPhone get a grip.

blastdoor 16 Years · 3617 comments

spice-boy said:

I hope it does, you can all live a few months longer without the newest iPhone, tens of thousands won't live to see that iPhone get a grip.

Annual global deaths from the seasonal flu: between 291,000 and 646,000
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=208914

Annual global deaths from traffic accidents: about 1.25 million
https://www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/

So... clearly China should ban cars and keep everyone locked in their houses until the flu goes away.

1 Like · 0 Dislikes

seanismorris 9 Years · 1624 comments

blastdoor said:

spice-boy said:

I hope it does, you can all live a few months longer without the newest iPhone, tens of thousands won't live to see that iPhone get a grip.

Annual global deaths from the seasonal flu: between 291,000 and 646,000
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=208914

Annual global deaths from traffic accidents: about 1.25 million
https://www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/

So... clearly China should ban cars and keep everyone locked in their houses until the flu goes away.

It’s not that simple, this new virus has a 3% fatality rate in a controlled environment. If it spreads outside of China that’s going to climb. If it becomes like the flu virus (mutating/seasonal) who knows how many it kills.

At the end of this year, the global population will be about 8 billion. 3% of 8 billion is 240 million

This is why you see barely anyone the streets in China. Every time one of these virus’s appear they have the potential to be devastating.

The odds are good something like that won’t happen. But even a .01% chance is no joke.