In recent times several countries have started to work on preemptive strategies against Coronavirus, and many large companies are facing issues due to the spread of the disease. A massive coronavirus outbreak could hinder the release of the iPhone 12. According to a reliable source, the current development schedule has run into a problem due to flight restrictions.
Apple engineers used to go to China to finalize the design of the upcoming devices before the manufacturing process began. Still, it seems that such a venture isn’t possible at this point.
It was also mentioned that the manufacturing process would begin in the summer. However, Apple usually talks with partners during the first months of the year, as many details have to be cleared and discussed before the assembly process will start.
One of the most important partners is Foxconn, which manufactures many of the components that are needed for iPhones, iPads, and other devices. Foxconn is the largest contract electronics maker and quite busy on most days, but the recent events have led to some problems.
iPhone 12 release date might have been postponed due to Coronavirus
The factories which make iPhone components have been closed during the Lunar New Year holiday, and the company has decided to delay the reopening for now.
It is well-known that after the Lunar New Year takes place, factories will start to work on the definitive models. Several prototypes are developed and tested before this stage is reached, with the most successful ones becoming the core of the new devices.
Another process that is known as engineering validation will involve the manufacturing of a limited amount of devices that will be tested and verified to detect and remove any potential issues that may surface in the long run.
Some voices suggest that Apple and Foxconn will lose at least two months of development time for iPhone 12, but only time will tell if the usual release schedule will be kept.