Apple's colorful mainstream flagship, starting at $749.
iPhone 8 Manufacturing Issues May Lead to Extended Supply Shortages and Shipping Delays
Apple's upcoming OLED "iPhone 8" with an edge-to-edge display and facial recognition faced multiple production issues early in the manufacturing process, which is likely to result in "extended supply shortfalls and shipping delays," reports The Wall Street Journal.
The production problems have led to a setback of "about a month" in Apple's manufacturing timetable, but Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up development and working to hire new employees.
Today's report is nothing we haven't heard before. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said for months that he expects the iPhone 8 will be hard to come by until early 2018, and we've heard several rumors pointing towards problems with the display lamination process and other high-tech components like the 3D sensor embedded at the front of the device. The Wall Street Journal points to OLED assembly as a major reason for the delays.
While we hear rumors of supply shortages each and every year, it's worth noting that this year's rumors are both more concrete and more dire. If Kuo's predictions are correct, many of us hoping to get our hands on a new device could be waiting for weeks or months as Apple works to ramp up production.
Extended shortages may also impact Apple's holiday sales period, which is often the company's strongest, but because there's also a new iPhone 7s and 7s Plus on the horizon, it's difficult to determine the effect extended iPhone 8 shortages might have on the company's Q4 bottom line.
Customers hoping to get an iPhone 8 as soon as possible will want to pre-order the device right when it goes on sale. It's not entirely clear yet if the iPhone 8 will be available shortly after being introduced on September 12 or if the supply issues will lead Apple to delay shipments beyond September.
The production problems have led to a setback of "about a month" in Apple's manufacturing timetable, but Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up development and working to hire new employees.
Today's report is nothing we haven't heard before. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said for months that he expects the iPhone 8 will be hard to come by until early 2018, and we've heard several rumors pointing towards problems with the display lamination process and other high-tech components like the 3D sensor embedded at the front of the device. The Wall Street Journal points to OLED assembly as a major reason for the delays.
Apple and its suppliers also ran into trouble manufacturing the OLED displays. The display modules are being produced in Vietnam by an affiliate of Samsung Electronics. Unlike the OLED display module in Samsung's own smartphones, in which the display and touch panel are integrated, iPhone's display module has the touch panel outside of the display, according to a person familiar with the technology.Apple also wanted to add Touch ID to the display of the new device, but it "proved difficult," leading Apple to abandon the fingerprint sensor and lose valuable time as deadlines loomed.
The iPhone manufacturing process requires more steps and more layers of adhesive and protective film than are involved in Samsung's manufacturing process, the person familiar with the process said, creating a greater risk of manufacturing error.
While we hear rumors of supply shortages each and every year, it's worth noting that this year's rumors are both more concrete and more dire. If Kuo's predictions are correct, many of us hoping to get our hands on a new device could be waiting for weeks or months as Apple works to ramp up production.
Extended shortages may also impact Apple's holiday sales period, which is often the company's strongest, but because there's also a new iPhone 7s and 7s Plus on the horizon, it's difficult to determine the effect extended iPhone 8 shortages might have on the company's Q4 bottom line.
Customers hoping to get an iPhone 8 as soon as possible will want to pre-order the device right when it goes on sale. It's not entirely clear yet if the iPhone 8 will be available shortly after being introduced on September 12 or if the supply issues will lead Apple to delay shipments beyond September.
[ 180 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
15 months ago
Less than seven days before the Keynote launches and this rumor surfaces attempting to Cause a stir. And every year the iPhone launches as scheduled. There Likely will be a heavy constraint with the OLED model regardless with the demand being high.
15 months ago
There is ALWAYS a shortage. Hurry, get your pre-order in so you get it before the iPhone 9 is announced.
15 months ago
"Supply Shortages"
Yeah, just creating fake hysteria for some free marketing. Oldest trick in the book.
Yeah, just creating fake hysteria for some free marketing. Oldest trick in the book.
15 months ago
The 7 and 6s launches went very smoothly actually. It wasn't that hard to get a these phones. The last time it was cluster**** was with the 6 (especially the 6 Plus).
My point is what is reported is not what is reality:
(meanwhile, as you mention, everything went rather smooth)
Last year:
Report: Apple’s iPhone 7 launch could experience supply shortages
https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/26/apple-iphone-7-launch-supply-component-shortage/
year before:
iPhone 6s Plus Facing Supply Issues Due to Display Production Bottlenecks
http://wccftech.com/iphone-6s-plus-facing-supply-issues-due-to-display-production-bottlenecks/
year before that:
iPhone 6: Apple Confirms Record Pre-Orders And Big Supply Shortage
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2014/09/15/iphone-6-supply-shortage-apple-confirms-record-4-million-pre-orders/#18fae4b264e0
and before that:
iPhone 5C and 5S go on sale with gold in short supply
https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/20/4749888/iphone-5c-5s-begin-sale-in-stores-gold-numbers-limited
you can keep going back...
News agencies need stuff to report on, they exaggerate and twist things to make a story.
And after the product releases, you see another bunch of news saying something about slow-sales or production cuts, order cuts, etc.
15 months ago
I'm still really bummed about apple abandoning Touch ID. It seems like the most "radical" iPhone ever will come with a least one compromise. Not good for a phone that suppose to be the best.
15 months ago
People will be desperate and frantic to buy something they can't afford.
I love this stuff :D
I love this stuff :D
15 months ago
You don't want to buy one of these in the first two months. Let them sort out all the glitches and silently fix the wonky parts, before you jump in.
[ Read All Comments ]
At its annual Adobe Max conference, Adobe announced plans to bring a complete version of Photoshop to the iPad in 2019.
Photoshop CC for iPad will feature a revamped interface designed...
At its annual Adobe Max Creativity Conference, Adobe today announced a range of updates that are being introduced to its Creative Cloud software.
Creative Cloud apps that include Photoshop CC,...
Live TV streaming service PlayStation Vue recently added support for Apple's TV app on fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV devices, as well as on iOS. With this addition, PS Vue subscribers can...
Anki, known for its lineup of Overdrive iPhone-controlled cars and the Cozmo robot, today announced the official launch of its newest product, the Vector home robot.
Vector first debuted on...
With the launch of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X last year, Apple made some changes to the way a forced restart is performed and also to the way the devices are put into DFU mode. These...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WhyWood to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win something a little bit out of the ordinary - a high quality wooden iPhone and Apple Watch...
We're entering the final days of our latest exclusive sale with accessory maker Anker, in which you can get up to 42 percent off portable chargers, speakers, iPhone cases, wireless chargers, and...
Sygic's "Car Navigation: GPS & Maps" iOS app has updated to support CarPlay today. Sygic's app has a long history on the iOS App Store as one of the first GPS navigation apps...
