This could be the best evidence yet of a 5G iPhone this year

The iPhone 11 Pro Max, above, doesn't support 5G, but the iPhone 12 likely will (Image credit: Future)

The coronavirus has put many release schedules in doubt, but one thing that seemingly won’t be affected much is the iPhone 12 – which is expected to be Apple’s first 5G iPhone.

According to Nikkei Asian Review, Foxconn (the main manufacturer of iPhones) has put out a statement saying that recruitment goals had been reached ahead of schedule and that the company now has enough workers to meet “seasonal demand.”

In other words then, it should be able to build a whole lot of iPhones ahead of the likely September launch of the iPhone 12 range. And with production properly up and running, it’s unlikely that premium new features like 5G will be culled.

Having said that, Foxconn apparently won’t likely hit peak production of the iPhone 12 until “after July”, while during February and March its production volume was far lower than it normally would be at this time of year, due to the pandemic.

So stock of the iPhone 12 might be in slightly shorter supply than would be ideal, meaning that if you want to get your hands on Apple’s first 5G phone you might have to place your order quickly once it’s announced or face a wait.

Still, China seems to be getting the coronavirus situation under control, so while much of the world is still very much struggling, there shouldn’t be too many more issues with the production of the iPhone 12 – or other handsets that are built in China.

Via PhoneArena

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.