India's coronavirus lockdown to affect Apple's iPhone XR production

Apple's major supplier Foxconn makes the iPhone XR in Chennai, which is an area that is now subject to India's COVID-19 lockdown.

Production of the iPhone XR at Apple supplier Foxconn's plant in Chennai, India, is expected to be halted or at least heavily restricted. The local Tamil Nadu area is subject to the country's lockdown procedure for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

From 18:00 local time (08:30 ET) on Tuesday, the Indian government invoked Section 144 of its penal code and applied it to all public gatherings. Section 144 forbids the assembly of four or more people at one place, and during a lockdown, the country's Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, also restricts assembly to a similar number.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered a country-wide lockdown from midnight Tuesday (14:30 ET), which will last until at least March 31.

"Since this is an extraordinary medical emergency," Greater Chennai Corporation commissioner G Prakash told The Times of India, "we have brought these stringent measures into place. Thirty joint teams of corporation and police will be on rounds checking who violates this."

Foxconn has been producing the iPhone XR in India since October 2019, following some weeks of trial runs, but was believed to be planning to manufacture the iPhone 11 in Chennai too. Currently the iPhone XR is reportedly dominating smartphone sales worldwide.

In January, reports of a dispute between Foxconn and Apple included claims that the manufacturer was canceling $5 billion of investment in India. Foxconn denies this.

As yet, Apple does not have an Apple Store in India, although it is believed to be planning one for Mumbai's Maker Maxity mall.

6 Comments

blastdoor 3565 comments · 15 Years

About 4 years ago

I shudder to think of what this virus could do in India. Social distancing is harder because fo the high population density. Many people lack access to consistently clean water and other means for sanitation. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which 10 million people die... perhaps a lot more than that.

lkrupp 10521 comments · 19 Years

blastdoor said:

I shudder to think of what this virus could do in India. Social distancing is harder because fo the high population density. Many people lack access to consistently clean water and other means for sanitation. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which 10 million people die... perhaps a lot more than that.

Jeeezus, you are the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever seen on this site. Why imagine the worst? What does that do for you? What does it do for those who read your grim posts? Get a grip, man. Is that all you do in your bunker, think up worst case scenarios? It is what it is and your apocalyptic ruminations don't add anything.

lkrupp said:

blastdoor said:

I shudder to think of what this virus could do in India. Social distancing is harder because fo the high population density. Many people lack access to consistently clean water and other means for sanitation. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which 10 million people die... perhaps a lot more than that.

Jeeezus, you are the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever seen on this site. Why imagine the worst? What does that do for you? What does it do for those who read your grim posts? Get a grip, man. Is that all you do in your bunker, think up worst case scenarios? It is what it is and your apocalyptic ruminations don't add anything.

It sounds to me like you're a starry eyed optimist wearing rose colored glasses. It's time to put on your big boy pants and face the numbers.

1.3 billion people in India
So far, mortality rate looks to be between 2% and 5%
I've seen estimates that up to 80% of a population could eventually be infected.
1.3 billion * 80% * 2% = 20.8 million dead.

or maybe 50% get it and 5% mortality rate?
1.3 billion * 50% * 5% = 32.5 million dead

to get just 10 million, assume 2% mortality and 40% of people get it:
1.3 billion * 40% * 2% = 10.4 million dead

So you see, I wasn't imagining the worst with 10 million dead -- it's very easy to imagine much worse than that.

wood1208 2930 comments · 10 Years

blastdoor said:

lkrupp said:

blastdoor said:

I shudder to think of what this virus could do in India. Social distancing is harder because fo the high population density. Many people lack access to consistently clean water and other means for sanitation. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which 10 million people die... perhaps a lot more than that.

Jeeezus, you are the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever seen on this site. Why imagine the worst? What does that do for you? What does it do for those who read your grim posts? Get a grip, man. Is that all you do in your bunker, think up worst case scenarios? It is what it is and your apocalyptic ruminations don't add anything.

It sounds to me like you're a starry eyed optimist wearing rose colored glasses. It's time to put on your big boy pants and face the numbers.

1.3 billion people in India
So far, mortality rate looks to be between 2% and 5%
I've seen estimates that up to 80% of a population could eventually be infected.
1.3 billion * 80% * 2% = 20.8 million dead.

or maybe 50% get it and 5% mortality rate?
1.3 billion * 50% * 5% = 32.5 million dead

to get just 10 million, assume 2% mortality and 40% of people get it:
1.3 billion * 40% * 2% = 10.4 million dead

So you see, I wasn't imagining the worst with 10 million dead -- it's very easy to imagine much worse than that.

Corona virus is new kind and fatal than seasonal flu but you forgetting(from your statistics) important aspect of human body. Mighty Anti-bodies. Most people in India already lived through malaria,cholera,typhoid,seasonal flu(no one dies) and many more diseases. So, there immune system is better than many in world. That doesn't mean everyone in India can fend off and some may die but not in millions. Moreover, corona virus hate warm temperature and India already in warmer season.

wood1208 said:

blastdoor said:

lkrupp said:

blastdoor said:

I shudder to think of what this virus could do in India. Social distancing is harder because fo the high population density. Many people lack access to consistently clean water and other means for sanitation. It's not hard to imagine a scenario in which 10 million people die... perhaps a lot more than that.

Jeeezus, you are the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever seen on this site. Why imagine the worst? What does that do for you? What does it do for those who read your grim posts? Get a grip, man. Is that all you do in your bunker, think up worst case scenarios? It is what it is and your apocalyptic ruminations don't add anything.

It sounds to me like you're a starry eyed optimist wearing rose colored glasses. It's time to put on your big boy pants and face the numbers.

1.3 billion people in India
So far, mortality rate looks to be between 2% and 5%
I've seen estimates that up to 80% of a population could eventually be infected.
1.3 billion * 80% * 2% = 20.8 million dead.

or maybe 50% get it and 5% mortality rate?
1.3 billion * 50% * 5% = 32.5 million dead

to get just 10 million, assume 2% mortality and 40% of people get it:
1.3 billion * 40% * 2% = 10.4 million dead

So you see, I wasn't imagining the worst with 10 million dead -- it's very easy to imagine much worse than that.

Corona virus is new kind and fatal than seasonal flu but you forgetting(from your statistics) important aspect of human body. Mighty Anti-bodies. Most people in India already lived through malaria,cholera,typhoid,seasonal flu(no one dies) and many more diseases. So, there immune system is better than many in world. That doesn't mean everyone in India can fend off and some may die but not in millions. Moreover, corona virus hate warm temperature and India already in warmer season.

I hope you’re right. I hope the hot weather kills it.