14 DAY TRIAL // It’s all but confirmed right now: the iPhone 8 will almost certainly be delayed, and while Apple will present the anniversary model on September 12, it won’t go on sale sooner than October.
But according to Bernstein analyst Tony Sacconaghi, Apple doesn’t really afford to hold back the iPhone 8 for too long because the company is already on thin ice and the more it delays the release, the bigger the chances for some of its users to switch sides.
In other words, a delayed iPhone 8 could push Apple’s users to Android, and the Bernstein analyst says October 15 is more or less the ultimate deadline that the company should by no means exceed when it comes to starting sales of the anniversary iPhone.
“If the phone is materially constrained once we hit the holiday season, post-October 15, then it’s worrisome. If [it’s] delayed and consumers feel they won’t get it until 2018, you run the risk that people will look to other devices,” the analyst was quoted as saying.
Delay caused by Apple’s fingerprint sensor
Sacconaghi does have a point here, as missing the holiday season could substantially impact sales of any device, not just the iPhone 8, so Apple needs to deal with the production struggles fast and bring the anniversary model to the market as soon as possible.
But a delay of the iPhone 8 isn’t necessarily the end of the world for Apple, as previous generations have also been available in rather limited numbers. Top-of-the-range iPhones were typically sold in record numbers in the first weekend of availability, after which waiting times increased substantially, sometimes up to six weeks.
According to people with knowledge of the matter, the iPhone 8 could be delayed because of production issues impacting the OLED supply, mostly as a result of Apple not deciding where to put the fingerprint sensor until the very last minute. Touch ID, however, will be removed completely from the iPhone 8, as Apple failed to embed the fingerprint sensor into the screen.