Now it's official. Apple's most important assembly partner Foxconn is not allowed to resume iPhone production as planned on February 10th.
Due to the high risk of infection from the coronavirus, the Chinese government has banned Foxconn from resuming production. iPhone production pronounced – this is reported by the Nikkei Asian Review. It states:
Major iPhone supplier Foxconn's plan to resume production on February 10 has been cancelled by Chinese authorities over fears related to the coronavirus outbreak, the Nikkei Asian Review has learned. Public health experts in Shenzhen informed Foxconn, which does business as Hon Hai Precision Industry, that its factories there were at "a high risk of coronavirus infection" after conducting on-site inspections and were therefore not suitable to resume work, four people familiar with the matter told Nikkei.
Reuters has already stated in an earlier report that any further delay will have a significant impact on iPhone sales. Yesterday it was announced that the Apple Stores will not be able to celebrate the reopening on February 10 as planned.
Profit warning not ruled out
However, Apple has announced in an internal memo that it will gradually resume local stores. The Cupertino-based company has already adjusted its own estimates to the current situation in China during the last quarterly figures conference. However, some analysts fear that Apple will have to revise its sales forecast downwards in view of the ongoing production delays. In addition to iPhone sales, the AirPods deliveries highly endangered.
iPhone SE successor and more in danger
A few weeks ago, the well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo spoke about Apple’s plans for the first half of the year reportedAccording to this, the company is planning to present an iPhone SE successor (known as a possible iPhone 9), the leaked AirTags, a new charging mat, the fourth generation of the iPad Pro series and more. At the same time, Kuo warned of the possible consequences of the coronavirus. Now some observers fear that Apple will have to postpone its own plans due to supply bottlenecks and that a product release will take place much later. (Photo by digitalista / Bigstockphoto)