Launch events are typically important showcases for phone makers, designed to impress fans and pundits with exciting new devices. But as people across China hunker down at home to avoid the deadly coronavirus, companies are forced to give up on these mass assemblies, turning instead to online events.
Huawei sub-brand Honor is going to hold its first launch event this year online, company marketing executive Guan Haitao said on Weibo. Black Shark, a Xiaomi-backed manufacturer of gaming phones, is also planning an online launch event, according to CEO Luo Yuzhou.
Some industry analysts are expecting Chinese companies to ship fewer phones this year than previously forecast as travel restrictions and regional quarantines prevent factory workers from returning to work. Xiaomi vice president Lu Weibing has also said the coronavirus outbreak could impact supply chains and people’s purchasing power.