Apple begins production of the new iPhone one month later than planned, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The WSJ reported that Apple would reduce the production of the iPhone 12 by as much as 20 percent in the second half of 2020. Apple usually unveils new iPhone versions in September and begins shipping orders by the end of the month. The reported production delay could postpone this year’s model’s launch date to November or possibly early December. One of the reasons for the production delay and the decreased number of iPhones produced could be the disruptions in the supply chain that Apple is reported to have experienced.
LG , the company manufacturing camera modules for the new iPhone, is reported to have temporarily suspended operations at one of its factories last month. Apple engineers working on the iPhone 12 had to postpone completion of the design because it has become more challenging to work with suppliers.
Another, potentially more significant, factor behind Apple’s decision to decrease production is the impact of the coronavirus on customers. Reportedly, people are spending less money now than in the same period last year. Apple is expected to have a revenue of approximately 53 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2020, a 7.9 percent drop compared to the second quarter of 2019.
iPhone 12
The iPhone 12, as it is named in recent leaks, should be released in four editions with screen sizes ranging from 5.4 inches to 6.7 inches. At least some of the models are expected to support 5G. Last month, MacRumors received an alleged benchmark test of the new iPhone last month. From that benchmark, we can conclude that the single-core performance improved by 25 percent, and multi-core performance is 33 percent better than the current iPhone 11.
It seems that Apple will actually release all the smartphones the company planned for 2020. But that may not be the case for the iPad line-up. According to a recent leak, Apple has decided to postpone the release of its first 5G tablet to 2021.