The other day, we told you that due to the spread of the coronavirus, Apple had informed its Apple Store employees that replacement of iPhone devices has been delayed by two to four weeks. Instead of having to pick up one of these phones at the store, customers are advised that they can have the replacement mailed to them and can also receive a lender for the duration. And you may remember that last month, consumers The iPhone 11 Pro Max suffered delays of up to 11 days before receiving its new handset.
Now that the coronavirus has landed in the United States and is making its way across the west and east coasts (New York has just declared a state of emergency), it seems that several retailers in New York City have exhausted their inventory of new iPhone units. The other stores have very few 2019 iPhone models in stock. The New York Post made an informal investigation of the stores in Manhattan; a Verizon representative at a store on the Upper East Side explained that the shortage of iPhone units for sale was not just an issue for individual stores. “We don’t have an ETA on any of the shipments,” said the Verizon employee. “It’s a Verizon-wide problem.”
It’s getting harder and harder to find the exact iPhone model you want in a retail store
However, the impact of the coronavirus does not discriminate against certain carriers. An employee of an AT&T store in the Upper East Side noted that the iPhone 11 Pro had been out of stock for at least two weeks. And another representative of Verizon working in a store on the Upper West Side said, “We received a shipment and there was no iPhone in it – just return the phones and the Samsungs.”
Coronavirus forced Apple to cut production of 2019 models
According to a newspaper survey, Manhattan AT&T stores only have one or two 2019 iPhone devices available in the most popular colors and configurations. Some locations reported having no inventory at all. New York Sprint stores also have a small inventory of iPhone 11 / iPhone 11 Pro models for immediate collection. However, Sprint offers three-day shipping for each possible 2019 iPhone model.
While most representatives understood that the shortage was the result of the coronavirus, which stopped production of smartphones in China last month for a period of time, an AT&T employee said that the inventory of the iPhone 11 was also managed by operators by storing phones in warehouses. The same employee said that anyone looking to buy a 2019 iPhone in a store can request delivery within two days.
In addition to affecting the production of Apple devices, coronavirus also changes the way employees of the manufacturer work. Business Insider reports that Apple suggests that those who work at Apple Park and Infinite Loop in Cupertino work from home. The company has also limited travel to affected countries like Italy and South Korea, and the chances are increasing that the annual WWDC developer conference will be canceled.
Last week, Google suspended its I / O 2020 developer conference, slated to take place in mid-May, and last month the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show was canceled. Many phone manufacturers have traditionally used the MWC platform to make new phone announcements and have had to unveil their latest models without the hoopla associated with the event. Apple’s WWDC usually takes place in June. IFA Berlin is also at risk of being canceled, although it will not take place until early September.
Apple plans to host a new product event in late March during which it is expected to unveil its new entry-level handset, the iPhone 9 / iPhone SE2. Even if the announcement is made on March 31 according to rumors, the coronavirus could force Apple to delay the unveiling of the phone. Several analysts believe that demand for the device, which is expected to start at $ 399, could exceed supply until production returns to normal.
