Taiwanese makers of iPhone-bound printed circuit boards (PCBs) have denied reports that Apple has asked them to postpone volume production of Apple's 2020 iPhone by two months, according to a DigiTimes paywalled article.
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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.
The rebuff follows a report earlier this week from Japanese news site Nikkei that claimed Apple was preparing to delay the launch of its 2020 iPhone lineup "by a few months" over fears of how well iPhones would sell in the current situation.
Nikkei's report suggested supply chain sources also foresaw "practical hurdles" that could push back the launch date, which was scheduled for September, and that the engineering development of the 2020 iPhone lineup had been affected by travel restrictions to the United States, China, and elsewhere.
In a separate DigiTimes report filed today, iPhone supplier Pegatron's CEO SJ Liao also cited travel restrictions as a factor impacting the supply chain which manufacturers were working to overcome, although he stopped short of referring to Apple by name:
Commenting on whether the supply of its US-based client's 5G smartphones has been disrupted, Liao noted that the client at the moment is having trouble visiting the factories to make direct supervision of manufacturing and as a result, the supply chain will need to have the new smartphones built without the client's supervision.
However, Pegatron will keep communicating with the client to resolve any concerns it has. As for the market rumor that the client's 5G smartphone development has also been seriously delayed because of the pandemic, Liao noted that both the client and supply chain players at the moment are mainly looking to shorten the front-end processing work for the handsets.
A recent report from Bloomberg suggested that the iPhone 12 models are still on course for a fall launch despite disruptions to Apple's supply chain, and Foxconn this week said that it now has enough workers to meet "seasonal demand."
Rumors point to four new iPhone models for 2020, which will be available at various price points. All models are expected to have 5G capabilities and A14 chips, and higher-end models are expected to be equipped with new 3D camera systems like the LiDAR Scanner in new iPad Pro models.
Top Rated Comments
Disagree. Typically, announce in mid Sept with a release 1-2 weeks later. If they delay 2 months, that puts them in late Nov release; IMO, almost too late for Christmas sales.Makes sense to delay it. No one needs a new gadget. If it's delayed then fine.
And, regardless of if people "need" it, people will still buy it.
Yeah it would suck, but it's not important. If you have to wait a couple more months, then I'm sure you can cope.Some of us make plans to replace devices at certain intervals. I am still using my iPhone X, and I was planning to skip the iPhone 12 as well before the checkm8 bootloader exploit for X and below was announced, now I would like to upgrade to a secure device and I don't really see the 11 Pro as an upgrade to my X, so I am planning to get the 5.4" 12 when it is released. A delay would suck, as the battery in my X is starting to be an issue now.
If we have to wait another 2 months or more, then so what? We'll just buy in November instead. Not a big deal.Disagree. Typically, announce in mid Sept with a release 1-2 weeks later. If they delay 2 months, that puts them in late Nov release; IMO, almost too late for Christmas sales.
And, regardless of if people "need" it, people will still buy it.
What does one have to do with another? The world isn't stopping, it's adapting...however difficult it is.I think their point is that the world is fighting a virus that could kill millions of people, and perhaps a smartphone or profits shouldn’t take priority over global health concerns.
It’s not like the resources for building the phones would be otherwise engaged finding a cure for CV19I think their point is that the world is fighting a virus that could kill millions of people, and perhaps a smartphone or profits shouldn’t take priority over global health concerns.
I think their point is that the world is fighting a virus that could kill millions of people, and perhaps a smartphone or profits shouldn’t take priority over global health concerns.Disagree. Typically, announce in mid Sept with a release 1-2 weeks later. If they delay 2 months, that puts them in late Nov release; IMO, almost too late for Christmas sales.
And, regardless of if people "need" it, people will still buy it.