#Trending
APPLE’S WORLDWIDE
DEVELOPERS
CONFERENCE (WWDC)
COULD BE THE LATEST
EVENT TO FALL FOUL
OF THE WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK
OF COVID-19, THE NEW ILLNESS
CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS
THAT HAS WREAKED HAVOC IN
THE GLOBAL MARKETS, AFFECTED
WESTERN SUPPLY CHAINS AND
NOW, MAJOR EVENTS FROM SOME
OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE
TECH WORLD. Samsung and Google
have already fallen foul, cancelling their
MWC and I/O events respectively.
Apple is now under serious pressure to
follow suit.
WWDC is, of course, the next big
Apple keynote in the calendar, and the one
where we get to see the new generation
of software for iOS devices, Macs, Apple
Watches and Apple TVs. Although invites
aren’t normally sent until the middle of
April, WWDC has traditionally been held
in early June. And despite that being a few
months away, it’s looking highly unlikely
that WWDC will be able to take place- or at least in its normal guise. If travel
bans continue then Tim Cook and his gang
could be hosting behind closed doors to
an empty auditorium.
In truth, Apple has been relatively quiet
during the outbreak. A leaked memo
obtained by Bloomberg to Apple staff
from Tim Cook was about as interesting
as it got to start with. “I want to thank
everyone for their dedication, empathy,
understanding, and care,” Cook wrote.
“Our paramount concern is with the
people who make up Apple’s community
of employees, partners, customers, and
suppliers in China.”
Shortly afterwards, in an interview
with Fox Business, Tim Cook said he was
optimistic that normal supplier service
WWDC under threat
from COVID-
Apple’s annual conference, held in early June every year, in serious doubt
would resume imminently. “It feels to me
that China is getting the coronavirus under
control,” he said. “I mean you look at the
numbers, they’re coming down day by day
by day. And so I’m very optimistic there.
On the supplier side, we have suppliers- you know, iPhone is built everywhere
in the world. We have key components
coming from the United States, we have
key parts that are in China, and so on
and so forth.” Cook continued: “When
you look at the parts that are done in
Could coronavirus affect the launch of the 2020 iPhone?China, we have reopened factories, so the
factories were able to work through the
conditions to reopen. They’re reopening.
They’re also en-ramp, and so I think of this
as sort of the third phase of getting back
to normal. And we’re in phase three of the
ramp mode.”
But while the outbreak in China may
have slowed down, it is ramping up across
the world. In Italy, Iran and South Korea,
the number of those infected is on the
rise, and that will continue to have a huge#Trending
APPLE’SWORLDWIDE
DEVELOPERS
CONFERENCE(WWDC)
COULDBETHELATEST
EVENTTOFALLFOUL
OF THEWIDESPREADOUTBREAK
OF COVID-19,THENEWILLNESS
CAUSEDBYTHECORONAVIRUS
THATHASWREAKEDHAVOCIN
THEGLOBALMARKETS,AFFECTED
WESTERNSUPPLYCHAINSAND
NOW,MAJOREVENTSFROMSOME
OF THEBIGGESTNAMESINTHE
TECHWORLD.SamsungandGoogle
havealreadyfallenfoul,cancellingtheir
MWCandI/Oeventsrespectively.
Appleisnowunderseriouspressureto
followsuit.
WWDCis,ofcourse,thenextbig
Applekeynoteinthecalendar,andtheone
wherewegettoseethenewgeneration
of softwareforiOSdevices,Macs,Apple
WatchesandAppleTVs.Althoughinvites
aren’tnormallysentuntilthemiddleof
April,WWDChastraditionallybeenheld
in earlyJune.Anddespitethatbeingafew
monthsaway,it’slookinghighlyunlikely
that WWDCwillbeabletotakeplace
- or atleastinitsnormalguise.Iftravel
banscontinuethenTimCookandhisgang
couldbehostingbehindcloseddoorsto
an emptyauditorium.
In truth,Applehasbeenrelativelyquiet
duringtheoutbreak.Aleakedmemo
obtainedbyBloombergtoApplestaff
fromTimCookwasaboutasinteresting
as it gottostartwith.“Iwanttothank
everyonefortheirdedication,empathy,
understanding,andcare,”Cookwrote.
“Ourparamountconcerniswiththe
peoplewhomakeupApple’scommunity
of employees,partners,customers,and
suppliersinChina.”
Shortlyafterwards,inaninterview
withFoxBusiness,TimCooksaidhewas
optimisticthatnormalsupplierservice
WWDC under threat
from COVID-
Apple’s annual conference, held in early June every year, in serious doubt
would resume imminently. “It feels to me
that China is getting the coronavirus under
control,” he said. “I mean you look at the
numbers, they’re coming down day by day
by day. And so I’m very optimistic there.
On the supplier side, we have suppliers- you know, iPhone is built everywhere
in the world. We have key components
coming from the United States, we have
key parts that are in China, and so on
and so forth.” Cook continued: “When
you look at the parts that are done in
Could coronavirus affect the launch of the 2020 iPhone?China, we have reopened factories, so the
factories were able to work through the
conditions to reopen. They’re reopening.
They’re also en-ramp, and so I think of this
as sort of the third phase of getting back
to normal. And we’re in phase three of the
ramp mode.”
But while the outbreak in China may
have slowed down, it is ramping up across
the world. In Italy, Iran and South Korea,
the number of those infected is on the
rise, and that will continue to have a huge