Apple has said it will not meet revenue targets for the current fiscal quarter, blaming it for the Corona virus, which it says has caused an expected shortfall in iPhone supplies.

In a statement published yesterday, Apple warned that it will not meet the revenue guidelines it provided for the March quarter. The company had weeks before announcing holiday sales, told Wall Street analysts that the revenue for the quarter ending in March would be between $ 63 billion and $ 67 billion, and if the company managed to achieve this goal, it would record growth from 9% to 16% compared to the quarter the previous.

However, it appears that the outbreak of the Corona virus has changed all these expectations, as the virus killed at least 1775 people, with more than 71 thousand cases recorded.

The company said that corona virus affects it in different ways. First, its factories in China - where an iPhone is assembled - have been slow to reopen after the Lunar New Year holiday, as China deals with the spread of the virus. This will affect sales of Apple phones, which means lower sales during this quarter.

Apple retail stores in China closed as the virus spreads, but the company says it will gradually reopen it (Getty Images)

And Apple said in its statement that "although the sites of iPhone manufacturing partners are located outside Hubei Province - the epicenter of the virus - and although all of these facilities have been reopened, they have started to work more slowly than we expected." Emphasizing that "the health and well-being of everyone who helps make these products possible is our top priority."

Second, the outbreak of the Corona virus also harms iPhone sales in China. Out of concern about the spread of the disease, Apple closed all stores in China. Many partner stores also closed their doors, and those that opened saw fewer businesses.

Apple said in the statement that it is reopening its retail stores and will continue to do so "as consistently and safely as possible," noting that demand for the iPhone is within the target in other regions.

Apple's warning of falling revenue comes as it prepares to produce a successor to the iPhone SE. A report released yesterday indicated that the iPhone SE 2 is still on track for its launch next March. A new rumor indicates that this phone will be unveiled on March 31, and that it will reach stores in early April.