The recent novel coronavirus outbreak has caused a great deal of turmoil in mainland China, the result of which is now also affecting several industry giants, including Apple.
Recent reports suggest that the iPhone supply chains won't return to normal functioning at least for a few months. This report sounds quite interesting as a couple of days ago, CEO Tim Cook seemed confident enough when he said that the company is handling the outbreak quite efficiently and the supply chains would be returning to normal functioning, sooner rather than later.
Last Saturday, Reuters also reported that iPhone's camera module supplier, LG Innotek, had to close one of its manufacturing units in South Korea when one of its employees was tested positive for COVID-19.
LG Innotek is expected to remain closed for some days now, without a concrete timeline for the resumption of work. Several Apple insiders have also claimed that the novel coronavirus outbreak will lead to a negative impact on the company's ability to keep the supply chains running full-fledged during the first quarter of 2020.
iPhone 12 launch delayed
The disruption of the supply chains will be majorly felt by the upcoming iPhone 12. The analyst for TF Internal Securities stated that the factories responsible for the manufacturing of the iPhone 12 units aren't back to full capacity. And the state isn't expected to improve until April. Even if the target units are manufactured, Apple will have to ensure that the release of the iPhone 12 is smoother.
Due to the disruption of manufacturing and supply units, Apple could consider revising the timeline of the iPhone 12's launch by as much as 3 months. Additionally, the affordable iPhone 9, which was scheduled to launch in March can also be delayed if the current situation at the manufacturing and supplying end doesn't improve.
Recently, the company also announced that it working on a dedicated keyboard with tracking support for its iPad devices. Even though Apple is quite enthusiastic about its products, we are yet to see it will manage to launch its products, including the iPhone 12 without any hassle.
If you've been waiting for the iPhone 12, we understand that this news could be saddening. Nevertheless, things can turn around pretty quickly in the times that we are living in. Stay tuned for updates.
