Rumours about a new iPhone SE have been swirling for quite some time, with many sources – including multiple predictions from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – suggesting a March 2020 launch was on the cards. However, a Cult of Mac source with knowledge of the matter now claims that the March launch event has been postponed indefinitely, partly due to issues in the manufacturing process but also due to the worsening impact of COVID-19 in China and the rest of the world.
The Cult of Mac source claims Apple execs had grown increasingly concerned about bringing a large number of people to the event, which was allegedly planned to take place in late March at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in California. There were specific worries about being unable to ensure social distancing – which recommends you stay at least 1 meter away from others in public – at an event in a confined building with around 1000 people sat next to each other.
What really forced Apple’s hand was the Santa Clara County Public Health Department issuing an order to ban gatherings of 1000 people or more between 11 March and 1 April, when the launch event was originally scheduled to take place.
While the COVID-19 outbreak was a “major factor” in Apple’s decision to postpone the event indefinitely, according to the Cult of Mac source, it’s not the only issue. There were also “delays in producing two of the primary products,” and not having units ready to sell after the event was part of “multiple circumstances” that ultimately led to the postponement of the event.
The anonymous source sums it up quite well; “why have an event when the products aren’t ready?”. When you put it like that…
The source also explained that until Apple can better evaluate the production schedule, it’d be tough to determine availability and, as such, work on announcement plans. It’s claimed that Apple has put together a new preliminary timeline for the launch of the iPhone SE 2, as well as the alleged new iPad Pro that was supposed to also make an appearance at the March event, but it’s not “written in stone”, with the source claiming the timeline could change from “one day to the next”.
This source echoes other reports from the likes of tech writer Jon Prosser and Forbes that have appeared over the past couple of days, all confirming the same thing; the March event is no more.
Author: Lewis Painter, Senior Staff Writer
Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You'll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.