iPhone suppliers are denying a Nikkei report from earlier this week that suggested Apple was considering a delay in iPhone 12 production, meaning the company would miss the usual September release data. However, some iPhone suppliers say there is no sign of a delay.
Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) suppliers tell Digitimes that they’re continuing to work to the original schedule, and Apple hasn’t informed them of any possible delay.
There has been speculation that Apple is looking to delay the launch of its next-generation iPhones due the impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, but its PCB suppliers say they have not received any notification from the client about delaying production for the 5G iPhone […]
Taiwan’s PCB makers in the supply chain of 5G iPhones have denied reports claiming they have been asked to postpone volume production by two months in line with a likely launch delay for Apple’s new-generation devices amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry sources.
It should be noted that the Nikkei report did say only that Apple was discussing the idea, not that it had made a final decision, and that the Cupertino firm had not officially been notified of a delay.
Apple is preparing the ground to possibly delay the launch of its first 5G iPhones as the coronavirus pandemic threatens global demand and disrupts the company’s product development schedule, sources familiar with the matter have told the Nikkei Asian Review.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant has held internal discussions on the possibility of delaying the launch by months, three people familiar with the matter said, while supply chain sources say practical hurdles could push back the release, originally scheduled for September.
However, the Nikkei report did contradict itself a bit by saying the following:
“We have been notified to start shipping in big volumes to meet Apple’s new product launch by the end of August, instead of like in previous years, when it would be sometime in June,” said a supplier of components related to printed circuit boards.
PCB suppliers specifically deny that part of the Nikkei report in today’s Digitimes report.
Keep in mind that even a delay in the production of one component, no matter how small, could delay iPhone 12 production. And, Apple could make a decision to delay production due to either supply or demand. The financial uncertainty of the COVID-19 coronavirus (unemployment claims hit a record earlier this week), which could place a huge hit on demand for the iPhone 12 or any other “luxury” items.