With the much-anticipated iPhone 8 launch day expected to be right around the corner, there is plenty of speculation among industry insiders about what major new features will be available on the hot new device. Just last month, the CEO of Wistron let it slip that the iPhone 8 will feature wireless charging. As far as leaks go, this is a big one. The CEO of Wistron is not some no-name Twitter speculator. In fact, Wistron is one of Apple’s device manufacturing partners in India so any leaks from their executives are worth their weight in gold.
Understandably, iPhone fans have been clamoring for a convenient wireless charging feature for years. Rumors swirled in the lead up to the iPhone 7 launch but those rumors never came to fruition. This latest leak should be exciting news for fans of Apple’s smartphone. Unfortunately, some are speculating the wireless charging feature may not be enabled once the iPhone 8 launch day rolls around.
The speculation is a result of what appears to be a manufacturing delay in the production of the iPhone 8 wireless charging accessory. KGI Securities believes that the wireless charging accessory will be sold separately for interested customers. However, because the accessory may not be ready to ship alongside the iPhone 8, it is being speculated that Apple will not have wireless charging support enabled on the iPhone 8 launch day.
If that is in fact the case then this would be a similar situation to how Portrait Mode was finally enabled on the iPhone 7 Plus. Some may recall that the feature was not available on launch and, rather, was enabled through a software update in iOS 10.1.
It would make sense from a business standpoint for Apple to do something similar with the iPhone 8. Apple will likely want to push consumers toward their official iPhone wireless charging accessory rather than have iPhone 8 owners look for third party wireless charging solutions. By locking down the feature until the Apple wireless charger is ready to ship, fewer customers are likely to purchase a non-Apple branded product.
This latest leak about the suspected manufacturing delay with the wireless charger accessory is the latest in several leaks about suspected delays in Apple’s manufacturing process. Experts are anticipating that Apple will smash sales records on the iPhone 8 launch day but production may not be keeping up with demand.
New iPhone models have typically followed a rigid fall release schedule. However, the iPhone 8 launch day appears to be up in the air. Some industry analysts are even hinting that the new device could be facing a 2-month delay. This could push the iPhone 8 launch date back to November or December – right in the middle of the holiday sales push. With that said, iPhone fans shouldn’t panic just yet. Another report is suggesting there is, in fact, no manufacturing delay and the iPhone 8 launch day will be on time.
Speculation always seems to pick up as iPhone releases grow closer. Until Apple makes an official announcement, rumors and leaks are all iPhone fans have. Hopefully the iPhone 8 launch date is sooner rather than later.
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