The 2020 iPhone could be delayed for months - reportedly because Apple's worried no one will buy it

Axios on HBO/YouTube

Apple CEO Tim Cook.

• Like every year, Apple is expected to release a new version of its iPhone this fall.
• But according to multiple reports, Apple could push back launch of the new phone later than usual due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
• More than just supply and manufacturing issues, Apple is worried that "the current situation would significantly lower consumer appetite to upgrade their phones," according to a new report from the Nikkei Asian Review.
• As a result, the company could reportedly delay its new iPhone by "months," according to the report.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple has set a decade-long precedent of revealing and launching new iPhone models every year, often in the fall. It's become a standard - an expectation among Apple devotees.

But this year, with the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus pandemic, multiple reports point to a delayed iPhone.

Part of the reason cited by those reports has been supply and manufacturing constraints, as Chinese factories that produce iPhones were temporarily closed. But the latest report, from Nikkei Asian Review, points to another reason: Apple is concerned that "the current situation would significantly lower consumer appetite to upgrade their phones."

China Daily via Reuters

An Apple store in Hangzhou is closed amidst new restrictions to control the spread of coronavirus.

Moreover, Apple is reportedly concerned about a lower than usual interest in the new iPhone specifically because it's expected to be the first featuring 5G technology.

"They need the first 5G iPhone to be a hit," an unnamed source speaking with Nikkei Asian Review said.

As Apple's competition has already released phones with 5G technology, the company reportedly sees itself as playing catch up.

Apple will reportedly decide on the fate of the next iPhone by May. Company representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

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