In a private conference call with investors this week, Apple supplier Foxconn suggested that there is still a possibility that 5G-enabled iPhones will launch on time this year despite pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, according to Bloomberg.
Of course, Foxconn did not mention Apple or the iPhone specifically:
"We and the customer's engineers are trying to catch up the missing gap, after we lost some days due to travel ban. There's opportunity and possibility that we might catch up," Yang said. "But if there's a further delay in the next few weeks, months, then you probably have to reconsider launching time. It's still possible."
The report claims that trial assembly of new iPhones typically begins in early June ahead of mass production of the devices in August, so there are still several months for Apple to catch up should pandemic restrictions begin to be eased.
With hundreds of suppliers of iPhone components, however, Apple will have to rely on more than Foxconn to ensure an on-time launch.
Prior to the pandemic, it was rumored that Apple planned to introduce four high-end iPhone 12 models with notched OLED displays and 5G support in the fall, including a 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and a 6.7-inch model. Following in the footsteps of the new iPad Pro, some or all of the models are expected to gain a LiDAR scanner for augmented reality.
