https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/03/coronavirus-will-pandemic-upset-apples-upcoming-iphone-plans/

The coronavirus pandemic brought havoc to many businesses across the country, with even Apple, probably the most iconic company in the United States, if not the world, feeling the impact of the outbreak upon its operations.

The most-public sign of that has been Apple closing its retail stores. The company recently re-opened stores in China after closing outlets there for several weeks as part of that country’s effort to control the spread of coronavirus. But, on March 13, Apple shuttered stores everywhere else in the world, and hasn’t set any timetable for when the locations may re-open. In addition to cutting off a source of revenue, Apple’s closing of its stores is a symbolic loss for the company, as it has always viewed the retail sites as the equivalent of town squares where people can gather, talk with each other, learn about technology and, of course, purchase Apple products.