Apple Reportedly Cutting Delays & Pushing For 5G iPhone Launch In 2020
Apple is aggressively working to cut down any delay in launching a 5G iPhone, according to a new report. Up until recently, it had been anticipated that Apple would launch the first of its 5G iPhone devices this year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown orders that followed have slowed down the rate at which most companies operate, let alone launch new products like a 5G-ready smartphone.
Since the coronavirus pandemic started, many cities in different countries have been subjected to stay-at-home and social distancing orders. This resulted in the supply chain for many industries effectively, coming to a standstill. While many companies and factories have since reopened again, the inevitable effect is a backlog in production that will need to be caught up on and that's going to take time, barring any further delays that might take place in the future.
According to a new report by Nikkei Asian Review, Apple has been aggressively pushing suppliers to make up for the time lost over the last few months and ensure 5G iPhone production delays are as limited as possible. For example, while it had been suggested a 5G iPhone launch could be pushed as far back as next year, this latest report points to the increased efforts to make up for lost time means that’s unlikely to still be the case. In other words, while the 5G iPhone launch is still expected to be delayed, the suggestion now is that it will still launch this year, with Apple understood to be currently between four weeks and two months behind schedule.
From Apple’s perspective, the company is already playing catch up with Samsung and the others who have already released a 5G-enabled smartphone. While that in itself might not be a major motivator for Apple, all indications had pointed to the iPhone-maker's intention to launch new 5G models this year. As a result, a lot of its forecasting will have likely been in relation to those devices launching, going on sale, and units being shipped on time.
More widely speaking, Apple is also likely feeling the pressure from the industry as a whole. A 5G iPhone launch is expected to be a big deal and an event that many retailers and carriers will have been banking on happening and preparing for. Therefore, any delay to the product launch won’t just affect Apple, but also all of those involved at the different levels of the launch as well.
As is the case with COVID-19 in general, firm answers right now on anything are not really possible. Therefore, even while sources close to the production line appear to be now indicating that the delay is going to be less than previously thought, a delay is still expected. Furthermore, the length of delay is still a moving target, with additional delays remaining a possibility for Apple, and everyone else waiting on a 5G iPhone.
Source: Nikkei Asian Review