We recently learned of the existence of a scaled-down version of Apple's wonderful AirPods Pro, potentially named AirPods Pro Lite. Unfortunately, it seems that this entry-level true wireless earphone may suffer from the same production problems as many other Apple gadgets due to complications caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

According to a DigiTimes report citing sources in Apple's supply chain, the scheduled Q2 2020 production launch of these new earbuds will likely be delayed by at least several months.

Apple is not sending engineers to China or other Asian production facilities for fear of coronavirus infection. This means that development of upcoming products like the iPhone SE 2, iPhone 12, and AirPods Pro Lite has been delayed, with the new AirPods likely to begin mass production by the end of Q2, well into June at some point.

However, the standard AirPods Pro, which has been on sale since October 2019, should survive the delay unscathed, thanks to the factory responsible for assembly continuing to work at half capacity during the Chinese New Year period when most Chinese companies were closed. This was decided last December as part of an effort to meet the strong demand for earbuds that manifested itself in shortages during the 2019 Black Friday/Holiday period.

The iPhone SE 2 and iPhone 12 are rumored to be announced in March/April and September, respectively, but we have recently heard that they should still be announced and released in time. The new iPad Pro is also expected to be released in March, but there is no word yet on whether coronavirus-related issues will have any impact on production or release schedules.