APPLE’S production and sales have both taken a hit from the coronavirus as demand falls amid the crisis, but the tech giant is set to unveil the latest designs for its flagship models today.
iPhone?
Apple is said to have undertaken a sweeping redesign of the iPhone. The iPhone 12, the new line of iPhone Pros - the next generation of the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max - will be overhauled to appear more like the current line of iPads, with flat stainless steel edges and sharply rounded corners. Both will have larger screens as well.
5G?
It’s in the news right new as conspiracy theorists link it to the virus, but the two new Pro models will come with 5G, said to be faster and smarter than the current 4G most phones use.
What else is expected?
It is expected that there will be two more budget-friendly options for the Pro phones, as well as the release of the iPhone SE 2020, which is expected to be similar to the iPhone 8 and come in red, black and white, with an estimated cost of around £400.
Speaker?
Apple is also set to release a new, smaller, HomePod speaker, at a more competitive price to compete with Amazon and Google’s smart speakers, sales of which have outstripped it.
Augmented reality?
Reports suggest iPhone 12 Pro's triple-camera will be enhanced by a depth-sensing scanner, which allows for immersive augmented reality features.
Trying times?
The US firm warned in February that it would not meet its financial targets due to the virus. It had been planning to increase iPhone production overall and wanted suppliers to produce 80 million of them over the first half of this year.
But Covid-19 resulted in a drop in production as Apple’s factories are all in China and were closed for a time. They have now reopened and production is gradually returning to normal.
Pre-virus?
The popularity of the iPhone 11 and accessories such as AirPods was credited for record sales and profits over the Christmas period.
Apple said sales in the last quarter of 2019 rose 8% year-on-year to $91.8bn (£70.5bn), while net profits increased 11% to reach $22.2bn.
It followed disappointing sales earlier in the year.
Sales?
Despite the continuing fallout of the pandemic, sales in China improved last month. March saw 2.5 million iPhones retail there - a fifth lower than the year before, but up on February’s 500,000.
Tracing?
Apple and Google are teaming up to create new contact tracing technology, designed to slow the virus’s spread.
How will it work?
The firms plan to add new software to phones that would enable them to emit unique signals on Bluetooth that could be picked up by other phones within 6ft. Then, anyone who tests positive for the virus down the line can choose to activate an encrypted list of phones they came close to, triggering alerts to anyone who may have potentially been exposed.
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