Rumour | iPhone SE 2: Apple postpones its US$399 smartphone amid claims that production issues have delayed the iPhone 12 series

The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a wide-ranging impact, with authorities and companies currently cancelling events worldwide. While many smartphone manufacturers are continuing with their product releases as planned, Apple may be the first to postpone a release altogether.

Citing five sources, Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech claims that Apple has postponed the release of the iPhone SE 2. Billed as an iPhone 8 with the internals from newer iPhones, the device was supposed to be unveiled at an event towards the end of this month. While Apple is yet to confirm publicly that it would be hosting an event, Prosser states that the company has cancelled the event internally.

Apparently, no new date for the iPhone SE 2's release has been confirmed either. According to his supply chain sources, Prosser states that it could be an indefinite delay. Alternatively, the device could arrive in June or as late as the Fall. Production has all but finished for the device though, with Prosser stating that this has not caused any delays.

Instead, it is claimed that Apple does not want to release a new iPhone during a period of global instability. Bloomberg, for instance, reports that iPhone shipments dropped by 60% in China last month. Unsurprisingly, Apple does not want its first reasonably-priced iPhone in years to flop.

Separately, the outbreak of COVID-19 will apparently impact the release of the iPhone 12 series. As we reported last month, the outbreak has halted development and Apple may be up to two months behind schedule.

In short, the iPhone SE 2 will probably only hit the shelves once markets have started returning to normal. Similarly, Apple will only release the iPhone 12 series once it feels that people will want to buy expensive smartphones, but production issues are currently the driving force for any delays.