Apple's 'iPhone 8,' other high-end smartphones may hurt PC shipments

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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in iPhone
The glut of high-end smartphones expected to ship in the second half of 2017 -- including Apple's "iPhone 8" and "7s" -- may put such a heavy strain on parts suppliers that it will actually affect PC shipments, according to a report.




Ongoing shortages are only expected to worsen, supply chain sources told DigiTimes on Tuesday. On top of new iPhones coming this fall, LG is set to premiere its latest flagship, the V30, while Samsung is likely to announce the Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 23, shipping it shortly thereafter. Following those launches, smaller phone vendors may prolong the situation by shipping phones with similar or even superior hardware.

Some companies are said to be overbooking parts to ensure consistent supplies. It's not clear if Apple is one of them, but the company is typically the highest-profile client for any given supplier. Regardless overbooking is said to be causing DRAM prices to rise, and may cause a-Si (amorphous silicon) panel costs to go up as well.

On Monday DigiTimes indicated that chip shipments are already unusually low for non-Apple products, likely because some companies are waiting to see what new iPhones will offer.

The "iPhone 8" is generally predicted to feature a 5.8-inch, edge-to-edge OLED display, replacing a physical home button with a virtual one. It should also come equipped with an "A11" processor, wireless charging, 3D facial recognition, and possibly a rear-facing laser for autofocus and augmented reality purposes.

The "iPhone 7s" and "7s Plus" should share some "8" technologies, like wireless charging, but rely on 4.7- and 5.5-inch LCD displays and retain physical home buttons.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    That's it, blame everything on Apple. It is not as if the arrival of a new iPhone and to a lesser extent other phones in the next few months is a surprise?
    Really? Pigs might fly.

    Sounds like someone needs a few stocks to rise (for a later selling off) to me.

  • Reply 2 of 7
    MetriacanthosaurusMetriacanthosaurus Posts: 880member
    Isn't there an obvious economic impact on similar industries during these epic launches? A person who spends $1000 on an iPhone is unlikely to spend $1000 on a PC in the same week, or month.
    The_Martini_Cat
  • Reply 3 of 7
    schlackschlack Posts: 720member
    Can't imagine they'd put a laser on the back at this point. So many other changes already in the works for the phone. Besides, their AR implementation is going to be backwards compatible so there's no need to introduce this kind of hardware and bifurcate the market until a nice support base has materialized around the shared hardware.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 7
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    So bottom line, Tim Cook knows how to lock in component suppliers thereby guaranteeing Apple has enough parts to build its products while other less competent supply chain managers have to sit back and wait.
    watto_cobralolliver
  • Reply 5 of 7
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    rotateleftbyte said:
    That's it, blame everything on Apple. It is not as if the arrival of a new iPhone and to a lesser extent other phones in the next few months is a surprise?
    Really? Pigs might fly.

    Sounds like someone needs a few stocks to rise (for a later selling off) to me.

    On the positive side this shows unequivocally that Apple is the BIG DOG in the tech playground. For all the talk about Apple losing its mojo, not innovating, playing catchup, falling behind, the usual blathering idiocy spewed by the naysayers, what Apple does often negatively impacts its competitors. Apple's competitors sit back and wait to see what Apple does, cowering at the thought they will be decimated. Others actively promote themselves for Apple buyouts. 
    lolliver
  • Reply 6 of 7
    The_Martini_CatThe_Martini_Cat Posts: 485member
    I want to see a cartoon showing the rear-facing laser in use.  I admit it's an immature sense of humor, I can't help it.  Cheers!🍸
  • Reply 7 of 7
    christopher126christopher126 Posts: 4,366member
    Anecdotal, I know, my GF has been using an iPad and an iPhone 6 as her primary computer for about 5 years now. I've noticed she's using the iPad less and less and her iPhone 6 more and more.

    She uses the iPad only to show her 97 year Dad photos/videos of her travels and her grandkids.

    She's used my 2006 iMac for a couple of projects in the last years or so. But I have to say, she's using her iPhone for 99% of the time. Texting, FaceBook, taking photos, surfing the web, a lot of time playing a scrabble type game w/ her sisters and a little email. That's about it.

    I think her next iPhone will be the Plus and she won't upgrade her iPad.

    This is the future.
    Solianton zuykovlolliver
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