Apple To Launch New Affordable iPhone As Sales Plunge In China

Apple’s sales slumped in February due to market stagnancy from the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. According to the China Academy of Information and Science Technology (CAIST), Apple only shipped 490,000 iPhones in the past month, down 62% year on year and 78% from a month earlier. Having closed its stores for a period of time and with strict travel restrictions within the country, Apple is not the only smartphone brand that took a hit. Smartphone shipments in China totaled 6.3 million in February, a 54.7% drop from last year and the lowest since 2012.

China is Apple’s largest market outside the United States. The sales drop in China could be the main reason Tim Cook warned shareholders that the new quarter’s expected results could be hard to come by.

SEE ALSO: Tim Cook: Coronavirus Stands as a Challenge for Apple

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, Apple appears to have no plans to delay its upcoming product launch. Apple’s Spring products debut are typically held in late March. Apple has not yet commented on whether this year’s event will be postponed or rescheduled.

Among the leaked information concerning Apple’s new products, the most notable is a model referred to as “iPhone SE 2”. Launched in 2016, iPhone SE was an affordable iPhone version with a 4-inch screen. According to AppleInsider, Apple started mass production of the New SE model in January. “iPhone SE 2” is rumored to resemble the iPhone 8 and will start at $399.

Other rumors around Apple’s Spring Product launch involve a new iMac/Mac mini, a new iPad Pro equipped with a brand new camera, and a new Apple TV. With a large number of Chinese smartphone makers moving their product launches online, there’s a chance that Apple will do the same.