Getting an iPhone 12 on Day One Could Be Mission Impossible Due to Coronavirus

2020 is a big year for Apple’s iPhone, as the Cupertino-based tech giant is expected to introduce 5G support on at least one model (with some sources claiming that all versions would actually feature 5G), as well as a series of key improvements in other areas like performance and camera.

But due to the coronavirus outbreak, getting an iPhone 12 on day one might be really hard, as many believe Apple would have to deal with very limited supply at launch due to delays hitting its production schedule.

Given the risk of infections, many companies, including Apple itself, avoid sending their engineers to China, which in turns cause a more or less significant impact on various operations, including manufacturing.

Limited supply

Apple, for example, is projected to soon reach the Engineering Validation Test stage for the iPhone 12, but as per a report from Digitimes, its team won’t travel to China until the coronavirus concerns come to an end. If this validation isn’t conducted, manufacturers can’t advance to the next phase, eventually pushing the start of manufacturing to a later date.

At this point, it’s unlikely to see a delay in the launch date of the new iPhone 12, but Apple is however expected to deal with a constrained inventory after the device is announced in September.

Now it all comes down to the approach that Apple wants to use for the new iPhone. The company can either start selling the iPhone 12 and use the limited inventory to ship a small number of units to those who pre-order the device or just push back the shipping date until the stock issues are resolved and enough smartphones are available to meet the demand.

The iPhone 12 will be announced in September, as per Apple’s typical schedule, but further details are still likely to change overnight, including the day when the new model could go on sale.