Although iPhone 8 is still supposedly slated for a September release, we’re hearing that Apple is trying to push production ahead earlier than usual. This new report backs up what BlueFin Research said earlier this week. But don’t expect to be able to buy one earlier than usual. It sounds like the company wants to avoid a Galaxy Note 7-like disaster, in which Samsung launched a new phone with fabulous new tech that never really got the chance to shine.
iPhone 8 may sport an iris scanner
One rumor we’ve been hearing about the iPhone 8 for quite some time is the addition of an iris scanner, and now we’ve got yet another reboot of it. Citing unnamed industry sources, DigiTimes reports that the iPhone 8 will feature an iris scanner and wireless charging, which backs up what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said. Those sources also reportedly confirmed the OLED display we’ve been hearing so much about.
Apple suppliers in Taiwan reportedly told DigiTimes that companies are expected to begin work on panel bonding for the OELD displays toward the end of the first quarter. The website’s sources also reported that Apple has ordered enough OLED panels from Samsung Display.
The iPhone 8 is expected to be a special tenth anniversary edition model that will arrive alongside two less feature-rich models, the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus, neither of which is expected to have an OLED display due to supply constraints on panels.
The website described its supply chain sources as “generally optimistic about the popularity of the device,” presumably the iPhone 8 and not the two other models.
iPhone 8 may enter production early
Apparently, Apple is optimistic too, as they said that the company has been “more active” with its chip orders for this year’s iPhone models, although it isn’t loosening up its standards. In fact, the company appears to have learned from Samsung’s disaster and has gotten stricter with its inspection requirements on chips, mechanical parts, modules and components, DigiTimes’ analog IC vendor sources said.
DigiTimes added that Apple has asked its suppliers to begin trial production and inspection on the iPhone 8 and to start preparing inventories earlier than usual. Deliveries of parts and chips for this year’s models are expected to start arriving in the second half of the current quarter, the website’s sources said. However, the reason for the early production start apparently isn’t so that the iPhone 8 can go on sale early, as it still is slated for a September launch.
Instead, it sounds like Apple wants to start earlier than usual so that it has plenty of time to make sure that there are no “Note-worthy” problems with the iPhone 8. Samsung beat the company with iris scanning, but the battery problems in the Note 7 and resulting recall kept consumers from getting to try it out for any length of time.
A more stringent inspection process is bound to take longer to complete, so the company will probably need more time to complete it.
