Get set for another unforeseen consequence of the coronavirus pandemic: Apple’s 5G iPhone likely will not be launched this fall.
Given supply chain issues and disruptions that have hurt Apple’s planning and design processes, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote there is only a 10 to 15 percent chance the technology giant will deliver the latest phone on time, according to a report in TheStreet.
It is more than likely that Apple customers will have to wait for the new iPhone until December, Ives wrote in an analyst note on Monday (April 6).
“Apple has one shot at its first 5G launch and tepid success out of the gates due to a lukewarm consumer appetite would be a disaster scenario that further plays into the mindset of Cook & Co. as they ponder the potential timing of this flagship product rollout,” Ives wrote.
Apple shares were up 8.72 percent to $262.47 at the close of the market on Monday, according to Yahoo Finance.
The prediction by Ives appears to be in sync with the outlook expressed by other forecasters.
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Nikkei Asian Review had previously reported Apple executives were considering a delay of the much-anticipated new phone by several months.
One month ago, Bloomberg also reported that a delay was expected. The report said Bank of America wrote that Apple’s 5G iPhone could see its fall release delayed by a month as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote the launch timing for upcoming models will depend on how production is going in April and May.
In October, as reported here, Apple was assembling suppliers to launch the company’s first 5G iPhones.
The three new iPhone models would be powered by a Qualcomm 5G modem chip, sources familiar with the plan said at the time.
Apple, reports said then, is hoping to recapture its position of tech stardom by revamping its product offerings in 2020.
