Although Apple’s upcoming lower-cost iPhone has reportedly reached the final stage of production verification in China, delayed component delivery could delay it to the second quarter of this year.
In two separate reports on Thursday, DigiTimes says the so-called “iPhone SE 2” or “iPhone 9” has reached the verification stage at Foxconn and Pegatron plants, but that Apple has been forced to defer PCB orders from the first quarter to the second, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, possibly delaying the expected March launch of the new handset.
Taiwan-based flexible PCB makers in the supply chain of Apple devices will see their shipments for the upcoming entry-level iPhone SE2 deferred from the first quarter to the second, and their second-quarter revenues may buck seasonal trends because of the deferral, according to industry sources.
Until now, Apple had been widely expected to debut the new low-cost handset as early as this month, with a possible March 31 media event launching the new iPhone and possibly other new Apple devices. The new iPhone had been expected to actually hit shelves on April 3. However, coronavirus-related delays are certainly likely.
The new lower-cost iPhone is expected to outwardly resemble the iPhone 8 and will feature a 4.7-inch LCD display. However, the internals are expected to boast an impressive update over the older models, with the same A13 chip that powers the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, and will boast 3GB of RAM. The new device is expected to use Touch ID in place of Face ID. The new device is expected to carry a $399 base price tag.