Apple and the coronavirus

[Bloomberg]( Follow Us //link.mail.bloombergbusiness.com/click/19293243.67573/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS90ZWNobm9sb2d5/582c8673566a94262a8b49bdBeb1c88f0 [Get the newsletter]( Hey y’all, it’s Austin. As the [coronavirus continues to spread](, Apple Inc. on Tuesday became one of the first tech companies to discuss the impact of the outbreak on its bottom line. During an earnings call, [the company told analysts sales expectations]( were uncertain as a result, and Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said Apple would be performing “deep cleaning” frequently on some of its stores on the mainland. The call was a reminder of the wide-ranging repercussions of the virus, which [at last count]( had sickened more than 6,000 people. Apple has located much of its supply chain in China, and is a bellwether for an industry that heavily relies on Chinese manufacturing. And, of course, it’s not just tech bracing for an impact: Companies from [Volkswagen AG to Starbucks Corp](. have also had to make major concessions for safety. The starkest sign of potential coronavirus fallout was seen in Apple’s sales outlook, which Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri indicated is expected to range between $63 billion and $67 billion next quarter. “The wider-than-usual revenue range represents uncertainty related to the recently unfolding public health situation in China,” Maestri said. Already, Apple noted it has seen slower retail traffic in China over the past few days.  Cook also said Apple will take several steps in response to the outbreak. Those include donating to groups working to contain the virus’s spread; conducting temperature checks of employees in China; and [limiting travel]( to “business-critical situations” in affected areas. Facebook Inc., too, has [suspended nonessential travel]( to the country. And WeWork has [closed some locations](. For Apple, the [most significant challenge]( will likely be the upkeep of its supply chain in the country, where millions of workers at partner manufacturers such as Foxconn’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Pegatron Corp. churn out products like the iPhone and Apple Watch for consumers around the globe. Cook said that there are alternative sources for its suppliers in the Wuhan area. “We’re obviously working on mitigation plans to make up for any expected production loss,” he said. As for suppliers outside Wuhan, Cook said "the impact is less clear at this time," and acknowledged that some factories will be closed longer than usual for the Chinese New Year, reopening on Feb.10. Overall, despite the growing global anxiety about the spread of the disease, the tone of Apple’s earnings call was buoyant—the company [hit App Store milestones]( and beat revenue expectations [for the quarter](. Some analysts expected more attention would be paid to the outbreak on the call, but only a few minutes were devoted to talking about the business dynamics of the disease. The U.S. stock market, too, mostly shook off virus-related fears on Tuesday after a panicked start to the week. But in a world that’s more interconnected than ever, Apple’s response is a sign that no one is invulnerable. —[Austin Carr](mailto:acarr54@bloomberg.net) If you read one thing Facebook's first-ever head of human rights started her job at the company last year to little fanfare. [In her first interview with the press](, the former Australian diplomat talks about confronting the company's checkered history in countries like Myanmar. The new role is an example of a broader reckoning at the company over the spread of hate speech on its platform. On Tuesday Facebook also [released new details]( about its proposed Oversight Board for reviewing problematic content.  And here’s what you need to know in global technology news Just months before it's slated to be spun off into a public company, Match Group CEO [Mandy Ginsberg is stepping down](. Match—which owns dating apps including Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid—is currently part of Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive. The duo behind Honey, the coupon app that recently sold to PayPal, are now worth [about $1.5 billion](. A New York Times reporter may have been the victim of an attempted hack [coming from Saudi Arabia](.  Like Bloomberg's Fully Charged? [Subscribe for unlimited access]( to trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and gain expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. [Learn more](.  You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Fully Charged newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022