Bank of America predicts 3-4 week 'iPhone 8' delay, but still a record breaking 2018 for A...

AppleInsider

After a supply chain visit, Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the latest firm to predict a launch up to a month later than usual for the as-yet unannounced "iPhone 8" and an accompanying drop in sales through the end of the calendar year -- but still a blockbuster 2018 ahead for Apple.

Wamsi Mohan and Stefano Pascale of Bank of America penned the report to investors, which was supplied to CNBC. The pair of analysts cite issues with the fingerprint and 3D sensors for a device that will "ship 3-4 weeks delayed" as compared to the regular timing for a fall iPhone refresh.

As a result of the lack of availability, the analysts cut expectations for the quarter ending in September by 11 million, and the holiday quarter by 6 million. However, the analysts don't believe that the sales are lost -- the March quarter shipment estimates have been raised by 10 million, with 243 million shipments still expected in fiscal year 2018. Apple's record fiscal year 2015 saw 231 million sales, with Wall Street consensus before this report is factored in at 244 million.

It is not clear if the report from Bank of America is a truly independent report, or a reiteration of other reports citing delays in the product. AppleInsider reached out to Bank of America for the full report to glean more insight on how the conclusions were reached, but access was denied.

The "iPhone 8" is rumored to feature an edge-to-edge OLED panel with a 5.1-inch user space with the remainder dedicated to virtual buttons. Slimming or removing the bezels would allow Apple to fit a larger battery in both size and capacity into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Also expected is a new 3D facial scanner .

With a complete redesign, plus the inclusion of a 2.5D curved glass back with wireless charging, some reports have pegged the starting price of the "iPhone 8" at more than $1,000, and others as much as $1,200.

anantksundaram

Yawn.

lkrupp

Until it happens it ain’t news.

sflocal

I'll win the lottery before I believe anything these jerk-off analysts say.

williamh

Aren’t they reporting what always happens?  Prediction: run on pumpkins at the end of October followed by a drop in demand.  Component shortages, whatever.   Don’t the analysts call for other cheaper models too?

mknelson

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

anantksundaram

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

mknelson

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

Uh… That's not the opposite, just more hyperbolic.

Academics "publish or perish" and get fact checked.

anantksundaram

mknelson said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

Uh… That's not the opposite, just more hyperbolic.

Academics "publish or perish" and get fact checked.

Ah, apparently, people doing hyperbolic don't have a sense of humor....

foggyhill

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

Uh… That's not the opposite, just more hyperbolic.

Academics "publish or perish" and get fact checked.

Ah, apparently, people doing hyperbolic don't have a sense of humor....

There is a maximum humor point on the hyperbolic curb and they've gone past it ;-).

anantksundaram

foggyhill said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

Uh… That's not the opposite, just more hyperbolic.

Academics "publish or perish" and get fact checked.

Ah, apparently, people doing hyperbolic don't have a sense of humor....

There is a maximum humor point on the hyperbolic curb and they've gone past it ;-).

Hyperbolic 'curb'?

Hmmm, kick them to the curve, I say...

foggyhill

anantksundaram said:

foggyhill said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

anantksundaram said:

mknelson said:

Analysts are starting to seem like inept academia:

Publish (stuff we made up without consequence: we don't have peer review or legal responsibility) or Perish. 

Easy there... ;-)  

(Unless, of course, you meant the opposite..., i.e., "analysts are an inept version of academia" -- in which case I apologize for misreading your post!)

Uh… That's not the opposite, just more hyperbolic.

Academics "publish or perish" and get fact checked.

Ah, apparently, people doing hyperbolic don't have a sense of humor....

There is a maximum humor point on the hyperbolic curb and they've gone past it ;-).

Hyperbolic 'curb'?

Hmmm, kick them to the curve, I say...

We got weird roads around here...

Metriacanthosaurus

A 3-4 week delay (actual acknowledged delay, with a future release date set) is probably better than launching early (like last year) and having absolutely no availability whatsoever.

Last year you couldn't get a 7 Plus in store for weeks, and even early pre-orders took weeks to deliver. Tim Cook said in the last earnings call that they learned from this mistake, and will apply what they learned to future launches. Well, apparently that didn't mean "figure out how to deliver on time." It meant "delay the release date of this model until we know we can service orders and in-store availability."

SpamSandwich

anantksundaram said:

Yawn.

No kidding.

If something isn't even announced yet, it isn't "delayed". Typical analyst BS.

StrangeDays

Metriacanthosaurus said:

Last year you couldn't get a 7 Plus in store for weeks, and even early pre-orders took weeks to deliver. Tim Cook said in the last earnings call that they learned from this mistake, and will apply what they learned to future launches. Well, apparently that didn't mean "figure out how to deliver on time." It meant "delay the release date of this model until we know we can service orders and in-store availability."

Which is how you deliver on time. These things dont fall off trees by magic, and I'm sure Apple has put their supply chain's manufacturing capabilities to the limit. There's only so many you can make ahead of time when you're talking about the world's most successful product.