The iPhone 8 has been the subject of a lot of rumors this summer. One of the biggest rumors has been the thinking that manufacturing and supply problems could put an iPhone 8 September release in jeopardy. However, in a new report, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says that the iPhone 8 release date is on track for sometime in September. This should be welcome news for Apple fans who were worried they may have to wait as late as November, which is what some rumors have suggested.
However, before you get too excited, Ming-Chi Kuo also noted that the initial availability of the iPhone 8 will be extremely limited. He estimates that Apple only has the capacity to produce 2 to 4 million units before the end of the quarter with production ramping up through Q4 2017 and into Q1 2018. That means a few million units available for the iPhone 8 September release and tens of millions of people that want to own one.
The rumored cause of this low supply is the new OLED display on the iPhone 8. Apple is apparently having trouble getting enough displays produced to supply what will surely be very high demand this fall. Of course, this is often the case when Apple makes a major design change. It takes time for a company to change their manufacturing processes and meet the demands of consumers. So, basically, if you want an iPhone 8 it looks like you will have to be at the front of the line on launch day or wait patiently until after the holidays.
Of course, the iPhone 8 won’t be the only new iPhone available this fall. Ming-Chi Kuo and other analysts are expecting the iPhone 8 September release to fall alongside the release of the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus. These models will be much easier to get your hands on with an estimated 35 million iPhone 7S devices being manufactured and 20 million iPhone 7S Plus devices being made before the end of the year.
Price may also be the ultimate decider. Sure, everyone would love to own an iPhone 8 but at an estimated $1,100 to start, that figure may price some people out of the market. And, of course, even if you have $1,100+ in hand, you may not be able to buy one. It certainly looks like the iPhone 8 is going to be the hot product this holiday season.
With the new design of Apple’s flagship smartphone, the iPhone 8 September release promises to be one of the biggest, most hyped iPhone launches since the original iPhone was revealed 10 years ago. The much-anticipated smartphone is expected to be available in 3 colors and feature a beautiful bezel-less OLED display. Of course, with no bezels there is no room for a home button which means TouchID has been moved.
There is some debate about what has happened to TouchID. Some leaked photos show what looks to be a fingerprint sensor at the back of the device while other leaked images show nothing. There was talk that Apple might make TouchID a part of the lock/power button on the right-hand side of the device. That seems like the most logical solution and Apple does own a patent for the technology. Earlier in the summer there were rumors that Apple was going to embed TouchID underneath the display but were encountering performance issues. Those rumors have died down which either means Apple abandoned the plan or we’re in-store for a big surprise on the iPhone 8 September release date.
With that said, TouchID may not even be necessary. One of the big rumors about the iPhone 8 has been the inclusion of a 3D face scanner. Apple appears to have accidentally confirmed this feature, called PearlID, in their HomePod firmware leak. PearlID is supposed to be able to do everything TouchID does including unlocking your iPhone, authorizing Apple Pay purchases, and accessing secure apps. A developer noticed mention of an infrared camera in the HomePod firmware and details about which areas of the face the iPhone 8 will scan in order to recognize the user. It will be very interesting to see how well this feature works in real life. Other smartphone manufacturers have attempted things like iris scanning with underwhelming results. In many cases, fingerprint scanning proves to be the best and most reliable way of unlocking your device using biometrics. However, if anyone can change that trend, it’s Apple.
It looks like the iPhone 8 September release date is still on track. Of course, you may not be able to get your hands on one if the rumored supply is as scarce as some are suggesting. Still, if production ramps up as fast as expected then it shouldn’t be long until Apple is able to sell their flagship smartphone to everyone with $1,100 in hand. Will you be lining up to get your hands on one of the few launch day iPhone 8 handsets or will you stay at home and be patient until production catches up with demand?
