Kuo: iPhone Production Will Not Significantly Improve Until Second Quarter of 2020

Apple's iPhone production will not significantly improve until the second quarter of 2020, according to a research note from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by MacRumors. In the past few weeks, Kuo has warned of delays and low labor return rates at Apple supplier factories in China.

iphonelineupguide b
‌iPhone‌ camera lens shipments from supplier Genius Electronic Optical reportedly fell significantly over the past month, and supplies are dwindling. Kuo predicts there is about a month of lens inventory remaining, with significant production resuming in May at the earliest.

Looking forward to upcoming models, Kuo predicts the 2020 iPhones will maintain the same ultra-wide lens design as the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

Kuo in January predicted that all of the 5G iPhones were still on track to launch in the fall of 2020. More recently, Kuo mentioned that the long-rumored "‌iPhone‌ 9" or "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" would still be on track to launch in the first half of 2020 despite the coronavirus outbreak.

With the effects of COVID-19 reaching global status, it remains to be seen how much more of an impact the virus will have on Apple's supply chain.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. At the time,...
apple unsold web store

Retail Accessories Apple Won't Sell You Now Available via New Site

Friday January 30, 2026 8:46 am PST by
A newly surfaced resale operation is seemingly offering Apple Store–exclusive display accessories to the public for the first time, potentially giving consumers access to Apple-designed hardware that the company has historically kept confined to its retail environments. Apple designs a range of premium MagSafe charging stands, display trays, and hardware systems exclusively for displays in ...
imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...

Top Rated Comments

outskirtsofinfinity Avatar
77 months ago
Kuo seems to have a pretty solid understanding of how this virus thing is going to play out. He should brief the CDC, who still seems to be uncertain.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
danny842003 Avatar
77 months ago

Amazing how the 24/7 news hungry media can cause such a panic over a common cold virus. Amazing.
Yes nations are literally trashing their economies because of the media....
I’m not saying you should panic but this isn’t a common cold. Spanish flu (a common cold by your logic) killed 50m people with a much less connected word.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
77 months ago
Demand didn't go away. It's just on hold for some markets.

The freak out will end sooner or later.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
voraciousvegan Avatar
77 months ago

Amazing how the 24/7 news hungry media can cause such a panic over a common cold virus. Amazing.
Except it's not just a "common cold virus." How often does the common cold lead to pneumonia & life-threatening respiratory illness? What's amazing is people's willingness to be blind. Outbreaks have happened before in history where millions have died -- why can't they happen again?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
77 months ago

it’s not a cold but just a flu. Death percentage is less than 10% of the number of people who caught it. The people who are dying already have health issues. Most people with no health issue will just show signs/symptoms of a normal flu. The influenza flu this 2019-2020 season already reach 4,800 death in the US. The flu season isn’t even over yet. Maybe you should stay indoors just to be safe.
This isn't a flu. And the average flu death rate is much, much lower. More have died from it because millions were infected, not a few tens like with coronavirus.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scottsoapbox Avatar
77 months ago

Kuo seems to have a pretty solid understanding of how this virus thing is going to play out. He should brief the CDC, who still seems to be uncertain.
It's not rocket science: closed factories don't make iPhone parts. iPhone parts needed to make iPhones.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)