14 DAY TRIAL // The closer we get to the official launch of the iPhone 8, the more information reaches the web, and today we have something that comes on a little bit more official channel.
Foxconn vice-president Luo Zhongsheng posted on social networking site Weibo that the upcoming iPhone 8 won’t be cheap, citing the OLED displays as the main reason (the post has since been removed, probably due to concerns that it’d make the headlines).
Zhongsheng explained the yield of OLED panels with a special design is only 60 percent, pointing out that manufacturing costs are substantially higher in this case than for a display with a standard shape. This means Apple will pay more for its displays, which in turn translates to a bigger final price for the iPhone 8.
Specifics were not provided, but previous forecasts from analysts estimated the iPhone 8 could cost somewhere in the region of $1,200, once again with the OLED display to be one of the main parts boosting the price.
Bigger price due to unusual display
The iPhone 8 screen requires several adjustments to production equipment as unlike panels used by other companies, it does not feature a uniform design because of the sensor bar at the top. This is expected to house the facial recognition cameras, and Apple thus opted for an unusual display which manufacturers spend more to build.
The screen of the new iPhone 8 is manufactured by Samsung and more recently, there’ve been reports that the South Korean company experienced supply issues, leading in turn to a possible delay of the iPhone 8.
These reports seem to make sense at some level, as Samsung might struggle to reach the expected production levels for Apple’s unusual displays, while at the same time getting more money for building a panel that does not feature a uniform cutout.
While no official information from Apple is being provided, it’s all but confirmed that the iPhone would be more expensive than the standard iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. This means the device could cost more than $1,000, as the current top-of-the-range iPhone 7 Plus is priced at $969 with 256 GB storage and Jet Black color.
