Coronavirus to hit Galaxy S20 accessories supply chain

Seoul, Jan 31 (IANS) The deadly Coronavirus outbreak that has already killed 213 people in China could lead to delay in the accessories for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S20 series that are coming out of the country.

According to the website MobileFun, it has already started receiving emails from a variety of brands and suppliers detailing delays that could make it very difficult for early S20 adopters to purchase cases, screen protectors and other device specific accessories at launch.

Samsung’s flagship “Unpacked” event a under two weeks away but, the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus and the subsequent extension of the Chinese New Year holiday by the Chinese government will have consequences for the upcoming smartphones and their potential buyers.

With the majority of phone cases and glass screen protectors manufactured in China, including the extremely popular, Samsung partnered Whitestone Dome, owners of the new S20 phones will likely have to wait in order provide their phone with enhanced protection, the report added.

Earlier this week, there were reports that the deadly virus could also impact Apple’s business as its Foxconn facility in Wuhan “could quickly become overrun with an outbreak, potentially putting workers at unnecessary risk and effectively shutting down production”.

In addition to asking many employees to stay at home, the Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing firm has also enhanced employee health monitoring at the Wuhan factory.