Foxconn reportedly won‘t be able to resume iPhone assembly on Monday. Its plants in China where Apple handsets are put together have been closed since before the Lunar New Year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and the government has allegedly forbidden them to reopen next week, literally on pain of death.
Apple Stores across China will remain closed into next week amid the growing coronavirus crisis.
All 42 stores were closed this week because of the outbreak but were scheduled to open Feb. 10. In a memo to Apple Store employees this morning, Apple retail chief Deidre O’Brien indicated a reopening time is on hold until further notice.
The Chinese company that assembles most of the world’s iPhones has ordered employees in one region of the country not to return to work next week to prevent further spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Foxconn sent text messages to Shenzhen-based employees that those sites will remain closed until further notice. While Foxconn’s main iPhone factory is in Zhengzhou, a portion is assembled in Shenzhen. Shenzhen is also the headquarters for Foxconn’s parent company, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.
Apple’s current AirPods Pro supply woes could soon get much worse, thanks to the new coronavirus spreading throughout China.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Apple ordered suppliers to produce 45 million AirPods units to catch up with the huge demand. Then, manufacturers shut down production lines through February 10 due to the fast-spreading virus. Now a new report cautions that suppliers might not have enough components to fulfill Apple’s order when production resumes.
The spread of the new coronavirus is bad news, but a particularly bullish analyst thinks there’s an upside — for Apple’s bottom line.
In a note to clients, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty suggests that the spread of coronavirus within China will give people more time to buy apps from the App Store.
iPhone manufacturer HonHai/Foxconn Technology Group plans to re-open its main factory in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou on February 10, but quarantine its returning workers for 14 days in an abundance of caution as the number of cases of the coronavirus grows.
Apple’s manufacturing partners in China hope to jump back into action next week, after the coronavirus epidemic forced temporary shutdowns in the country, according to a new report.
Foxconn, LG Display and others “plan to resume full-scale production” on February 10. But with the viral outbreak only worsening as the weeks go on, there’s a definite chance of further delays.
A major manufacturer of Apple products could halt production for another week if the new coronavirus outbreak grows. One source warns that the epidemic could have a “big” impact on the tech giant’s product availability, according to a published report Monday.
Reuters cites sources at Taiwan-based Foxconn who say “almost all” production of the iPhone in China has ceased until at least February 10 and could extended even further.
Wedbush analyst and Apple enthusiast Dan Ives isn’t worried about the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak on Apple’s share price. At least, not yet. In an interview for CNBC show Squawk Box, Ives said he views any dips in Apple’s share price as “buying opportunities.”
And he’s not alone in being optimistic at a time when lots of others are nervous.
iPhone shipments could fall 10% during the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Reliable TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reduced his forecast to 36-40 million units. His latest report, seen by Cult of Mac, also warns that it’s too early to tell what kind of impact the epidemic might have on Q2.
Apple will close all its offices, 42 retail stores and contact centers across the Chinese mainland through February 9 as the outbreak of the new coronavirus has sickened more than 14,500 and killed more than 300 people.
Apple’s primary mobile chip supplier insists the coronavirus epidemic will not affect production.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) this week said it is on track to deliver orders as usual, according to one report. But Apple certainly isn’t out of woods yet.
Government-ordered quarantines in place to contain a deadly coronavirus outbreak in China have forced Apple to temporarily close three stores in the country.
Apple’s good news about a record-breaking quarter this week have been tempered as executives monitor conditions in a country critical to the mass production of its most popular devices, especially the iPhone.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warns that Apple could experience product shipment delays and other risks if the deadly coronavirus spreading in China is not significantly contained before March.
In a note to investors Wednesday obtained by Cult of Mac, the respected soothsayer also warned that the coronavirus has caused consumer confidence in a market Apple has been trying to grow, especially with smartphones.
The first Apple earnings report of 2020 was a smashing success that shattered most of Apple’s previous records. Thanks to shockingly strong iPhone sales and a surging wearables business that is bigger than the Mac and the iPad, Apple managed to surpass even the most optimistic expectations.
Apple CEO Tim Cook held a call with investors after the numbers came out to dive deeper into the impressive quarterly results. Cook dished on everything from the success of Apple TV+ and problems with AirPods Pro supplies to the Wuhan coronavirus affecting China. If you didn’t get a chance to join the call, don’t worry, Cult of Mac has you covered with all the need-to-know info.
