According to Chinese-language news source Economic Daily, the iPhone 8 remains on schedule for an unveiling in September with sales to follow soon after. This news comes despite previous rumors that suggest Apple will struggle to meet its usual timeframe for the next-generation iPhone due to production yield rate issues.
As it stands, we’re expecting the debut of an OLED model alongside two LCD models but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that, despite a September unveil of the OLED model, Apple will face “severe supply shortages” until as late as October/November. Similar rumors have circulated during the past few months by other analysts and sources including Japanese site Mac Otakara who suggested that the ‘iPhone 8’ would launch “very much” behind the LCD models.
Economic Daily, however, signaled the typical ramp-up in the production of parts related to the release of the iPhone:
“Upstream to downstream suppliers in the iPhone supply chains, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), SLP (substrate-like PCB) makers Zhen Ding Technology and Kinsus Interconnect Technology, and battery supplier Simplo Technology, are ready to ramp up related iPhone parts starting June.
TSMC will begin to fabricate the wafer starts needed for the production of A11 processors on June 10 and to deliver the chips in volume quantity in the second half of July, the report indicated.”
It is reported that both Zhen and Kinsus have managed to improve their yield rates of SLP products allowing for a greater volume of production beginning in June. Alongside that, companies that assemble the iPhone such as Foxconn, Winston and Pegatron are said to be in the process of recruiting and training more employees in China.
No official design for Apple’s next flagship smartphone has been released yet but we have seen a potential dummy model that illustrates the potential of features including a dual camera system, an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor, wireless charging and a front-facing camera with 3D sensing. This OLED phone is expected to be released alongside upgraded 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones.