Every year, Apple manages to make everyone's heart beat faster with the launch of a new iPhone flagship. This year is going to be special for Apple as it marks the tenth year anniversary of its first iPhone, which calls for a "Tenth Anniversary edition iPhone."
Rumours are rife with details about the iPhone 8, which will be the third variant to iPhone 7s and 7s Plus models this year. The iPhone 8 is expected to bag significant improvements, in terms of both design and specifications. But the Cupertino-based tech titan is likely to face some obstacles on its way to make the new flagship available in abundance.
The iPhone 8 is expected to have several custom-ordered components, making it difficult to mass produce. Citing this, Apple might delay the availability of the iPhone 8 till November and it won't be before FY18 that the company will be able to balance demand and supply, analyst firm RBC Capital Markets wrote in an investor note.
"While we still think Apple launches all 3 models simultaneously in September, the OLED model will see limited availability or delayed availability till mid October/November timeframe," the firm noted. "We are lowering our Sept & Dec-qtr iPhone expectations by 2.5M units each, but expect much of this to be picked up in March-qtr and through FY18."
Apple's extensive upgrades to the iPhone 8 have been associated with the delay in the phone's availability. In March, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis, Christopher Hemmelgarn, Thomas O'Malley, and Jerry Zhang noted that Apple will launch the anniversary edition iPhone 8 in limited quantities due to complicated manufacturing process and higher ASPs to deliver new features.
Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also predicted that the iPhone 8 will hit the markets only in early 2018. According to Kuo, the mass production of iPhone 8 will be pushed back to October or November.
Apple is going to launch its most-awaited iPhones in September this year, following its standard practice. The new iPhone 8 is expected to undergo massive design overhaul, feature an OLED display with integrated Touch ID and no home button. The iPhone 8 is also expected to sport wireless charging, and all of these premium features are expected to push the cost to around $1,000.
There's still a long way to go before Apple officially launches its 2017 iPhones, and a lot can change in due course. While analyst predictions are likely to be precise, they're subject to change depending on Apple's development.
