Virus Corona Bisa Bikin Industri Smartphone Kacau Balau

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 01: A Chinese employee wears a protective mask as he sits in the showroom of an Apple Store after it closed for the day on February 1, 2020 in a shopping district in Beijing, China. Apple announced it was closing all of its stores in China until February 9th due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to almost 12000 in mainland China Saturday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have put travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and neighbouring municipalities affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 250 on Saturday, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) — Apple Store di China. Foto: Getty Images

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Qualcomm memperingatkan bahwa wabah virus corona di China berpotensi menjadi ancaman besar bagi industri ponsel. Proses manufaktur ataupun penjualan bisa kena imbasnya.

Dikutip detikINET dari Reuters, Qualcomm sendiri adalah produsen modem dan chip sehingga mereka pun bisa terdampak.

Chief Financial Officer Qualcomm, Akash Palkhiwala, menyebutkan jika saat ini pengaruh virus corona pada permintaan ponsel dan rantai suplai masih diliputi ketidakpastian besar.

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Namun demikian, mereka coba menenangkan investor bahwa pasar 5G terbesar tahun ini diprediksi di Amerika Serikat, Korea Selatan dan Jepang. Jadi kalaupun ada gangguan di China, mereka bisa mengandalkan pasar lain.

"Jika kami punya isu, masalah rantai suplai atau permintaan di China, kami cenderung punya kemampuan untuk back up di wilayah lain," cetus CEO Qualcomm, Steve Mollenkopf.

Dampak virus corona memang sudah cukup terasa di jagat teknologi. Apple dan Samsung telah menutup tokonya di China lantaran khawatir akan memicu penyebaran virus yang cukup mematikan itu.

Kemudian, pameran ponsel terbesar sejagat, Mobile World Congress 2019 di Barcelona, terancam mengalami gangguan. LG telah menarik diri dari ajang itu terkait alasan pengamanan terhadap virus corona. Sedangkan ZTE membatalkan konferensi pers.