Apple confirms delay in iPhone 12 launch; Covid-19 likely the reason

Apple has confirmed that its next-generation iPhone 12 won’t be hitting retail shelves in September. “As you know, last year we started selling iPhones in late September. This year, we expect supply to be available a few weeks later,” said Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri in an earning call. This means the new iPhones will be available most likely in mid-October.

Maestri didn’t reveal why the new iPhone will be delayed, but rumours of iPhone 12 being delayed in availability by a few weeks have been circulating for months now. The Wall Street Journal earlier this reported that Apple had pushed back mass production of the upcoming iPhone, likely to be called the iPhone 12, due to the coronavirus-related manufacturing issues and lower consumer demand. Earlier this week, Qualcomm said that 5G smartphone shipments would decline 15 per cent in the current quarter because an “unnamed” customer was planning to delay a “global 5G flagship phone launch.”

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In the past, Apple has had delayed some iPhone models beyond September. In 2017, iPhone X was made available to consumers in November. The iPhone XR was also announced in September, but went on sale in October. Apple typically launches new iPhones in September. If Apple is planning to make the iPhone 12 series available in October or November, the launch will likely take place in September. Like WWDC, Apple’s fall event is expected to be held virtually.

This year, Apple is planning to launch as many as four new iPhones including the 5.4-inch iPhone 12, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max, the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. Some reports have suggested that the new iPhones could resemble the iPhone 4. Meanwhile, others claim that new models will largely look the same as the iPhone 11 series. The only difference between the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 will be a new camera technology and 5G support. In particular, the premium models will come with the LiDAR depth sensor, which can also be found in 2020’s iPad Pro. All four iPhone 12 models will be powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chipset.