Apple recently confirmed that the iPhone 12 release date would be delayed until at least October as a result of production delays, but a new report says the launch will be split in two stages.
The tech giant is set to roll out four smartphones this year and sources within the supply chain revealed the two 6.1-inch models will hit the market first.
Shipments for the device are reportedly under way, which will be followed by 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in late August.
The delay is a result of the coronavirus pandemic that forced Apple to close its factories in China earlier this year, in a bid to limit spreading the virus.
September has been the set month for when Apple releases its next-gen iPhone, but the ongoing health crisis and travel restrictions has forced the firm to shift plans.
Confirmation of the delay followed rumors circulated by tech leaker John Prosser last month that new iPhones and iPads would be released in October.
However, Apple confirmed the rumors to be true during its last earnings call at the end of July.
‘We believe we are going to have a strong back-to-school season,’ Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the conference call, Axios reported.
The news of two stages was shared by Digitimes, which revealed Apple’s supply chain plans on receiving orders for new iPhone components in the fourth quarter – a few weeks later than usual.
‘Apple may launch its 5G iPhones in two stages,’ reports Digitimes, ‘with two 6.1-inch models in the first and another 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in the second.’
The publication’s unnamed sources within the supply chain reportedly say that their shipments for the 6.1-inch iPhone have already begun. These shipments are of the ‘SLP (Substrate-like PCB) mainboards’ and those for the remaining iPhones are now scheduled to begin in late August.
Overall, Digitimes says that the peak time for shipping all new iPhone SLPs is going to take place between two and four weeks later than Apple’s traditional timeline.
The present global health crisis also means that Apple will not be placing earnings targets, again, for the fourth quarter of 2020.
The Apple iPhone 12 is hotly anticipated and will support 5G wireless technology.
In locations where the necessary infrastructure is already established, these 5G enabled handsets will offer superior download speeds.
The development will see Apple catch up to its Android-based rivals, whose latest offerings have all featured 5G capable handsets.
These include the OnePlus 8 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the soon-to-be-released Galaxy Note 20.
Rumors have also circulated online that, with the iPhone 12, Apple may cease bundling matching headphones and a charging adapter with handset sales.
