Apple's 2020 iPhones Facing A One-Month Production Delay: Report

The 5G iPhone delay may not be as severe as some analysts have previously expected, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Apple is planning to debut four new iPhones this year even as production is expected to be delayed by one month due to the impacts of COVID-19, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The coronavirus pandemic has broadly affected the efforts to develop and produce the first 5G-enabled iPhones--ranging from supply chain disruption to travel restrictions that have prevented engineers from traveling to China. Questions have also swirled about whether the economic upheaval will hurt buyer appetites for the new iPhones, which typically are released in the fall.

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Apple’s most common time frame for new iPhone launches is September, though some models have been pushed back to October or early November in recent years. The Wall Street Journal report says production of the 2020 iPhones will be delayed by "about a month," but doesn't provide a specific estimate on when the devices could debut.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Previously, analysts such as Daniel Ives, managing director for equity research at Wedbush Securities, have suggested the 5G iPhones will most likely debut during the holiday shopping season rather than by September or October.

The Journal report also backs a prediction from well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities that Apple is planning four new iPhones for later this year, compared to the three new models released each fall over the past few years. All four new devices will reportedly include OLED displays and come in sizes of 5.4 inches, 6.1 inches (for two models) and 6.7 inches.

Kuo previously predicted that all four new iPhones will support high-speed 5G connectivity, while the Journal indicated that "some" of the new models will be 5G-enabled, without providing further details.