Opinion: Apple’s new iPhones face a double whammy of trouble

The timely launch and availability of new iPhones are critical for Apple. For all the talk about how the company is shifting its strategic focus to services and subscriptions, it is still powered by its hardware business. — Dreamstime/TNS

The severity of Apple Inc’s challenges amid the Covid-19 pandemic is starting to become clear. And it’s not looking great.

The reports covering the prospects of an iPhone delay are piling up. Last month, Nikkei reported Apple was considering putting off the introduction of its 2020 iPhones. Bloomberg News then said the new iPhones could be launched a few weeks later than normal due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus. And on April 27, the Wall Street Journal reported the company will push back the mass production of its upcoming iPhones by roughly a month, against the backdrop of weaker demand and supply-chain issues in Asia. The Journal also noted Apple plans to cut the number of handsets it manufactures in the second half of 2020 by as much as 20%.