According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, iPhone 8 will not ship at the same time as “iPhone 7s” models, though both are expected for unveiling on September 12. The report says that 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.
The report further adds that the iPhone 8, and says that the device’s production has been delayed by a month, which is sending “jitters” for Apple leading into the holiday season. The story itself is not too far apart from what has been reported on a semi-regular basis for months now, suggesting that stock for the upcoming flagship iPhone will be pretty tight right after launch. While the production problems have led to a setback of in Apple’s manufacturing timetable, Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up development and working to hire new employees.
The production glitches led to a setback of about a month in the manufacturing timetable. Foxconn Technology Group, the Apple contractor that assembles iPhones, has been ramping up production at its manufacturing complex in Zhengzhou, China. The company is paying bonuses to employees who can help bring new hires on board at its Zhengzhou plant, which Foxconn said in June employs about 250,000 people.
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. While we hear rumors of supply shortages each and every year, it is worth noting that this year’s rumors are both more concrete and more dire.
As to the reason why the production has hit a snag, it is in part due to the process taking more steps than previous iPhone models, and “more layers of an adhesive and protective film” than are involved with Samsung’s manufacturing processes for other OLED displays.
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.
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 is difficult to determine the effect extended iPhone 8 shortages might have on the company’s Q4 bottom line.
Apple is expected to put rumors about its iPhone lineup to bed next Tuesday (September 12, 2017) at a special media event at its Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.
