One of the many rumors surrounding Apple's upcoming premium smartphone, the iPhone 8, is that the device will be delayed due to technical issues related to its OLED screen and the integration of a 3D sensing system.
However, a new report claims that there will be no such delay for the iPhone 8, with Apple expected to announce the smartphone in September alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. The iPhone 8 will then also start selling in October.
iPhone 8 Mass Production On Schedule
The launch of the next-generation iPhones, including the iPhone 8, will not be delayed, according to Economic Daily News.
The report disputed earlier speculations that mass production of the new iPhones will be delayed into the fourth quarter instead of the traditional schedule of August to September because of issues in the production of some of the components of the devices.
Last month, reports hinted that the redesigned iPhone 8 might mean a significant delay in its launch schedule. It was said that the premium smartphone is harder to manufacture compared to the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, which would mean that it will take some time before it would be released into the market.
These reports were corroborated by famed Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. In a note, he claimed that the mass production of the OLED iPhone will be pushed back to October or November. This is a few months later than the traditional August to September start for new iPhone models.
Economic Daily News, however, claims that the reports pointing to a delay in the production and release of the iPhone 8 are inaccurate.
In fact, the report claims that several suppliers within Apple's supply chain are already gearing to ramp up production of several iPhone components starting next month. Meanwhile, assemblers such as Foxconn are currently increasing the recruitment and training of Chinese workers to prepare for the mass production of the new iPhone models.
Possible Cause For iPhone 8 Delay?
The Economic Daily News report, however, fails to mention one of the critical factors being related to a potential iPhone 8 delay.
One of the challenges that Apple is experiencing for the iPhone 8 is said to be the placement of the Touch ID sensor. The original plan of Apple is to integrate the sensor underneath the OLED screen of the premium smartphone to create a nearly bezel-less front.
However, Apple is allegedly having trouble in getting the technology to work. If the company is not able to solve the problem in time, it might be forced to either move the Touch ID sensor to the back of the smartphone, similar to what Samsung did for the Galaxy S8, or delay the release of the iPhone 8.
Fortunately, several leaks allegedly point to the fact that Apple has been able to fix the bottlenecks preventing the launch of mass production, including the integration of the Touch ID sensor underneath its OLED display. These leaks, if legitimate, will coincide with the new report that there will be no delay for the iPhone 8.
