Coronavirus (probably) won’t delay Apple’s iPhone SE 2, analysts say

The ongoing Covid-19 outbreak may have put a wrench in Apple’s revenues forecast, but it shouldn’t delay the rumored launch of a new phone next month. 

Previous reports indicated that Apple is planning an event for March, where it could launch a new affordable phone — possibly dubbed the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9 — as well as an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro. But with Apple suppliers mostly residing in Covid-19-stricken China, one has to wonder whether the March event is being delayed. The answer, so far, is a careful “no.” 

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note Monday that he doesn’t expect the iPhone SE 2 to be delayed as it uses an older type of lens in its camera, meaning it won’t be affected by manufacturing slowdowns due to the outbreak. 

And on Tuesday, Bloomberg released a slightly more detailed report, saying the iPhone SE 2 launch is “still on track,” but warning that Apple’s plans are “still fluid.” The report also says Apple is planning to launch updated iPad Pro devices, sporting a new camera, in the first half of 2020, and that there is a possibility of the virus delaying those plans. 

Finally, yesterday’s report from German site iPhone-ticker.de said Apple will have an event at the very end of March, possibly on March 31. 

Apple often launches new devices in March; the company held a “Special Event” on March 25, 2019 and March 27, 2018. It’s not a given, though: In 2017, 2014 and 2013 there was no March event. The original iPhone SE — the one that’s rumored to get a successor this March — was launched at an Apple event in March 2016. 

On Monday, Apple released a statement in which it revised its revenue guidance from the end of January, warning that the Covid-19 outbreak will “temporarily” constrain iPhone production. The outbreak has so far killed 1,775 and infected more than 71,400 people, mainly in China.