Apple’s latest iPhone — the iPhone 9 also known as iPhone SE 2– is likely to see a delay in launch given the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, several reports suggest.
The tech behemoth will reportedly hold a spring event at the end of March, most likely March 31, to launch the iPhone 9.
Marketed as a budget offering from Apple, mass production of this iPhone was supposed to begin by the end of February. However, it may be delayed until sometime in March, reports say. One of these reports go on to point out to a latest report from the Cupertino-cult that the coronavirus outbreak will affect its business in the January-March quarter as global iPhone supply will be temporarily constrained.
In an investor update Monday, Apple said it no longer expects to meet the revenue guidance it provided last month for the upcoming quarter.
“Work is starting to resume around the country, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated. As a result, we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter due to two main factors,” the company said in a statement.
Several analysts construe this statement as a confirmation that worldwide iPhone supply will be temporarily constrained.
“While our iPhone manufacturing partner sites are located outside the Hubei province — and while all of these facilities have reopened — they are ramping up more slowly than we had anticipated,” said the company.