A new report says that Apple has yet to begin mass-producing the new 2017 iPhones, namely the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and the so-called iPhone 8.
Out of the three, the OLED iPhone 8 is getting the short end of the stick, so to speak. That's because it could be delayed to November or December.
To be clear, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus is said to sport LCD screens that measure at 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches respectively.
2017 iPhone Mass Production Hasn't Gotten Into Gear
According to the Economic Daily News (via DigiTimes), the current production rate of Apple's 2017 iPhones isn't enough to be considered at massive volumes.
"While there were previous reports indicating that volume production for new iPhone devices has commenced, yield rates at the two main ODMs, Foxconn Electronics and Pegatron, have not yet reached levels that warrant mass production," the report reads.
ODM stands for original design manufacturer, and the Cupertino brand has inked deals with Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron to build the new iPhones.
Specifically, Foxconn is set to build 95 percent of the iPhone 8 units and small numbers of the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. Pegatron will manufacture 65 percent of the iPhone 7s and a small number of the iPhone 8, while Wistron will focus on producing the iPhone 7s Plus only.
The ODMs Foxconn and Pegatron are expected to begin mass-production in August, which is about a month later than Apple's usual target time frame in terms of manufacturing new iPhones.
However, the report did not explain the iPhone 8's delayed availability to November or December at the latest.
Possible Reasons For iPhone 8 Delay
Recently, Apple fell into panic mode because of software problems with the iPhone 8, particularly the company's 3D face-scanning security technology and wireless charging.
This is likely a contributing factor to the potential delay, but as a countermeasure of sorts, the company is leasing equipment to suppliers to avoid production issues and ensure iPhone 8 parts won't come short.
Another related determinant to consider is Apple's struggle to get the under-display Touch ID working on the iPhone 8 as fast and as accurate as the one found among the current brood.
To sum things up, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus may face a supply shortage due to a late start. Meanwhile, the iPhone 8's release date is said to be pushed back to sometime between November and December, but the report did not clear up why exactly.
For the record, the three 2017 iPhones follow the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
