Apple has confirmed it’s planning to launch its new iPhones a little later this year. “Last year we started selling new iPhones in late September, this year we expect supply to be available a few weeks later,” said Apple CFO Luca Maestri in an earnings call with investors today.
Maestri didn’t reveal why this year’s iPhone supply is delayed or constrained, but rumors of an iPhone delay have been circulating for months. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Apple had delayed mass production of its upcoming iPhone handsets by around a month. Qualcomm also hinted at an iPhone delay earlier this week, highlighting a “partial impact from the delay of a global 5G flagship phone launch” for its fourth quarter projections.
Apple typically unveils its annual iPhone refresh in September and begins shipping devices before the end of the month. It’s not clear if devices won’t be ready until October, but Apple could still choose to unveil its new handsets during an event in September.
This isn’t the first time that Apple has delayed shipping an iPhone. The iPhone X was announced alongside the iPhone 8 in September 2017, but it didn’t arrive in stores until November due to production issues. Apple’s iPhone XR was also announced in September 2018, and it hit stores in October after reports suggested Apple was having issues with LCD display production.
