Ming-Chi Kuo Says Coronavirus Outbreak Impacting iPhone Supply, Lowers Shipment Forecast

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has lowered his iPhone shipment forecast by 10 percent to 36-40 million units in the first quarter of 2020, noting that the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is affecting iPhone supply in China.

For example, multiple reports have indicated that assembly of the rumored "iPhone 9" or "iPhone SE 2" could be disrupted. The lower-cost device, expected to be a revamped version of the iPhone 8, was rumored to enter mass production in February ahead of a March release. Apple could still announce the device in March, but initial supply could be limited until production can ramp up.

iphone11proguide b
In his research note with TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors, Kuo added that smartphone shipments in the Chinese market declined by 50-60 percent year-over-year during the Chinese New Year holiday period, possibly due to declining consumer confidence in the country stemming from the coronavirus outbreak.

Out of an abundance of caution, Apple said it has closed all of its corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through at least February 9 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization declared the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. More information about the virus and how to protect yourself is available on its website.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Caution)
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
54 months ago
Reminder that the flu kills 36,000 Americans every year.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
480951 Avatar
54 months ago

Reminder that the flu kills 36,000 Americans every year.
Reminder that the WHO doesn't declare a global emergency for the normal flu and China doesn't normally quarantine cities of 36 million (while building two hospitals on site) for the normal flu either. That stat means nothing as well without comparing survival rates among those affected, of which the coronavirus is (currently) around 6-10x more lethal. You're also comparing an entire years stats to roughly a month.

I keep seeing this stat posted but I'll trust the scientists, epidemiologists and those in power at the WHO/CDC clearly stating this is a problem over internet commenters.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacLawyer Avatar
54 months ago
This is a terrible development for victims and their families. I can wait a bit for iPhone SE. Get better folks.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ryanwarsaw Avatar
54 months ago

Worst case scenario for AAPL:

NO 2020 iPhones are produced in China this year.

If that happens, the stock will drop by more than 2/3, & trade under $100/share.
I just closed my entire position on AAPL based on your post. I shall wait until the stock goes below $100 before jumping back in.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
54 months ago
with the extremely close living quarters in the dorms at some assembly places, I suspect we haven't even begun to see the impact of this horrible scourge
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EVGabe Avatar
54 months ago
This is why it's a bad idea to have a huge portion of your supply chain in one place. I hope this will prompt Apple to shift at least some of the supply chain to places like Taiwan, Vietnam, India, or maybe even the United States!

Especially the US. Apple has more than enough cash on hand to do so.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...