Another report says OLED 'iPhone 8' to ship after standard 'iPhone 7s' models
Another report has surfaced suggesting Apple will stagger the launch of new iPhone models expected to debut at a special event next week, lending credence to speculation that a hotly anticipated "iPhone 8" with OLED screen will ship later than an iPhone 7 revamp.
Citing sources familiar with Apple plans, TechCrunch reports "iPhone 8" will not ship at the same time as "iPhone 7s" models, though both are expected for unveiling on Sept. 12. The publication's sources failed to offer details as to when the high-end handset would launch, nor did they comment on the reasons behind the delay.
Earlier today, a report from Wall Street Journal blamed limited "iPhone 8" availability on a number of technical challenges related to OLED technology and production, as well as last-minute design decisions. In particular, integrating OLED technology into iPhone's already complex display stack proved difficult.
According to the report, Apple only recently opted against embedding a sub-screen Touch ID fingerprint sensor in order to make production deadlines for a fall release. At issue is the next-generation iPhone's screen assembly, which requires multiple layers of adhesive to stack together touch sensors, filters, protective glass and more.
This year's iPhone is also rumored to incorporate a new 3D Touch system. The pressure sensing technology is not present on OLED displays used in phones made by Samsung, which is manufacturing OLED panels for "iPhone 8," meaning Apple had to come up with its own assembly solution. The increased complexity leads to more assembly errors.
Unlike TechCrunch sources, those speaking to WSJ expect constrained "iPhone 8" supply at launch, not a delay in initial shipments. However, a report from Mac Otakara on Thursday cited sources of its own as saying iPhone 7 series revamps are scheduled to ship in September, while the OLED iPhone will hit stores in October.
Apple is expected to put rumors about its iPhone lineup to bed next Tuesday at a special media event at its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif. AppleInsider will be on the scene with live coverage of the keynote starting at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Citing sources familiar with Apple plans, TechCrunch reports "iPhone 8" will not ship at the same time as "iPhone 7s" models, though both are expected for unveiling on Sept. 12. The publication's sources failed to offer details as to when the high-end handset would launch, nor did they comment on the reasons behind the delay.
Earlier today, a report from Wall Street Journal blamed limited "iPhone 8" availability on a number of technical challenges related to OLED technology and production, as well as last-minute design decisions. In particular, integrating OLED technology into iPhone's already complex display stack proved difficult.
According to the report, Apple only recently opted against embedding a sub-screen Touch ID fingerprint sensor in order to make production deadlines for a fall release. At issue is the next-generation iPhone's screen assembly, which requires multiple layers of adhesive to stack together touch sensors, filters, protective glass and more.
This year's iPhone is also rumored to incorporate a new 3D Touch system. The pressure sensing technology is not present on OLED displays used in phones made by Samsung, which is manufacturing OLED panels for "iPhone 8," meaning Apple had to come up with its own assembly solution. The increased complexity leads to more assembly errors.
Unlike TechCrunch sources, those speaking to WSJ expect constrained "iPhone 8" supply at launch, not a delay in initial shipments. However, a report from Mac Otakara on Thursday cited sources of its own as saying iPhone 7 series revamps are scheduled to ship in September, while the OLED iPhone will hit stores in October.
Apple is expected to put rumors about its iPhone lineup to bed next Tuesday at a special media event at its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, Calif. AppleInsider will be on the scene with live coverage of the keynote starting at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Comments
2) I don't recall EarPods or HomePod being delayed. EarPods shipped with every iPhone on the date Apple gave years ago and HomePod has only been given an "Available December" timeframe. 2018 hits you can say Apple missed their self-imposed deadline.
But if the 8 is not ready, you have to 'tease' it. If the 8 will be ready in a month or two, you still have to announce it at the same time or you get thousands of people buy a 7s and then get really angry when they hear about the 8 only a month or two later.
Having customers complain about limited availability is preferable to having customers complaining about a poor quality product.
2) You seem to be implying that this is a new thing with Apple. It's not! Not only has this been a constant issue for Apple for their entire history, but these rumours about iPhone delays also an annual event. Here are just the last 4 years of iPhone delay rumours:
Now consider the sheer number of components that Apple has to source each year and the number of parallel production lines they have to create to ship millions of complete devices a week that contain components from dozens of companies built and shipped from all over the world. It's a massive undertaking. A few weeks ago JLG detailed it a bit of the monumental achievement that Apple undertakes:
Self imposed deadlines will continue to be missed, like Apple Park's opening date or the Mac Pro launch, but it doesn't mean the company is failing, it doesn't mean the company is poorly managed, and there are far too many possibilities for use to look at something like an AirPod delay and claim that it's "definitely a problem with manufacturing." The rumours last year had it pegged on a SW sync issue rumour that affected the L and R phones from delivering audio at the exact same time. Maybe that was something that required new firmware and was enough of an issue that shipping them with poor audio sync 6 weeks early would have had it panned by millions out of the gate (i.e.: bad press) or maybe the problem was severe enough that they had to reengineer a 3rd-party audio component or perhaps their own W1 series chip to make it work. We simply don't know where the issues resides—all we do know is that this is as common as hurricane season ever year.
Check out the MondayNote article I linked to in the post, above, if you hadn't already. It covers the scale of that monumental undertaking fairly well in a few words.