Coronavirus will hurt iPhones supplies, Apple warns

Apple has warned that disruption in China from the coronavirus will mean revenues falling short of forecasts.

The tech giant said production and sales were affected, and that “worldwide iPhone supply will be temporarily constrained”.

The iPhone maker is the first major US company to say that the epidemic will hit its finances.

Apple, which had forecast record revenues of up to $67bn in the current quarter, did not reveal the likely hit.

“We do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter,” the company said in a statement, adding that it was “experiencing a slower return to normal conditions” than expected.

With most stores in China either closed or operating at reduced hours, sales of Apple products would be lower, the company said.

– BBC