Apple reportedly may delay release of next iPhone by ‘months’

Apple is considering delaying the release of the next gen iPhone by “months” due, of course, to the coronavirus crisis, according to Nikkei, citing three unnamed “people familiar with the matter.”

“Supply chain constraint aside, Apple is concerned that the current situation would significantly lower consumer appetite to upgrade their phones, which could lead to a tame reception of the first 5G iPhone,” per the article, attributing “a source with direct knowledge of the discussion.” “They need the first 5G iPhone to be a hit.

Normally, the Sellers Research Group (that’s me) would be skeptical of such a move. Most likely, Apple will see how the COVID-19 situation develops before making a decision, though, with all factors involved, it can’t/won’t be a last-minute move.

Previously, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple will roll out four 5G iPhone 12 models next year. His crystal ball says that Apple will introduce 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and a 6.7-inch OLED iPhone models. All four of these iPhones will sport 5G connectivity. They’ll be differentiated (in addiction to screen size,of course) by their camera technology.

Kuo predicted that the 5.4-inch OLED iPhone will feature a dual-camera setup on the back. The lower-end 6.1-inch iPhone will feature a similar dual-camera system. The analyst ads that the higher-end 6.1-inch model and the 6.7-inch model will include triple-lens camera setups as well as time-of-flight 3D sensing technology

Now we must wait and see if the 2020 iPhones become the 2021 iPhones.