iPhone 8 Release Date Might Be Delayed Up To November
The iPhone 8 that is due for release this year as Apple celebrates the 10th anniversary of the iPhone may have been delayed. The device had been plagued with delay rumors earlier this year until a report refuted these claims. Now the rumors return and they state that the high-end iPhone will be released in October or November.
iPhone 8 Release Date
RBC Capital Markets said in an investor’s note that the release of the iPhone 8 may be delayed for one to two months because of delays in Apple’s supply chain. According to CNBC, this mirrors reports from other companies, such as KGI Securities, Cowen and Company, and Drexel Hamilton.
“While we still think AAPL launches all three models simultaneously in September, the OLED model will see limited availability or delayed availability till mid-October/November timeframe,” the note reads.
The OLED panels’ delay may have been due to the difficulties in producing a screen with an embedded fingerprint sensor. Other smartphone makers faced the same situation, causing Samsung to give up in order to not further delay the release of the Galaxy S8.
However, there are other firms that think otherwise. Morgan Stanley believed that there are no delays.
iPhone 8 Sales
Despite the delay, RBC thinks that it will not affect the sales of the iPhone 8. Because of the “supercycle,” the demand for it is quite high. After the iPhone 6s, fans expected an all-new iPhone to come next. But when iPhone 7 came around last year, fans were massively upset that it was just like a refresh.
Fans have even lower expectations for the iPhone 7s launching this year, but the iPhone 8 is one of the most anticipated smartphones. It has been years since Apple released a completely revamped flagship, so fans are excited to buy the new one, even if it means they will have to wait for a month or two. Looking at the current leaks and rumors, mobile phone enthusiasts may not have to worry about being disappointed in the fall.
iPhone 8 Design
What most intrigues the consumers is the design. It will be a huge letdown if the iPhone 8 ends up having the same form and materials as the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, and the upcoming 7s. Luckily, the sketch renders and prototypes that leak all describe a phone with a metal chassis and 2.5D glass at the front and back.
It cannot be said yet if it is an improvement, but it is certainly different. The front will be filled with the bezel-less screen, while the back will have the vertical dual-camera set-up. According to reports, the glass back will enable wireless charging, so that’s another upgrade from the other iPhones.
The removal of the physical home button, however, is causing fans to worry about the location of the Touch ID. If Apple fails to properly embed it in the screen, it may be placed at the back instead just like in the Samsung Galaxy S8. But a source from Foxconn dismissed this idea, saying that it will be placed under the screen, presumably in the same place as the virtual home button.
The Inquisitr also reported that the same source confirmed that the final product will look like the iPhone 8 render below.
If what the RBC Capital Markets analyst said is true, then the iPhone 8 will be officially unveiled in September alongside the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. The “S” models will then be available a few weeks after their debut, but the high-end iPhone will not be available until one or two months after. If the delay rumors are false after all, it will be available at the same time as the other two.
[Featured Image by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images]
