New Report Suggests Apple Could Delay 'iPhone 8' Launch to October or November

Apple could delay its rumored high-end iPhone with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display until October or even November, according to a new report out on Wednesday.

In recent years, Apple has released its iPhone updates in September, but according to Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), suppliers are encountering "technical issues" in the production of the upcoming "iPhone 8" because of differences in the display lamination process and challenges involved in integrating the 3D sensing front camera system.

iPhone 8 function area concept image 005
The report tallies with a rumor that circulated last month suggesting the iPhone 8 may go on sale later than usual, due to the switch to an OLED display and the new technology needed. In such a scenario, the launch of an iPhone 7s and 7s Plus would go ahead in September as scheduled, with the higher-end iPhone 8 coming later in the year.

Such a staggered release would be highly untypical of Apple, and it's hard to imagine the company holding a September launch event for "S" cycle iPhones with no mention of the highly rumored OLED device. However, it is possible the higher-end phone could be revealed at the same time but launched in limited quantities or at a later date. Barclays analysts recently claimed that Apple will launch its "10th anniversary iPhone" in the usual September timeframe, albeit in short supply until a full stock arrives in the fourth quarter.

Earlier this week it was reported that Apple has placed an order for 70 million OLED panels from Samsung, anticipating high demand. Samsung is preparing to be able to produce up to 95 million panels in 2017, said the sources.

Market watchers are said to be analyzing the pull-in of orders for passive components from the iPhone's supply chain to see whether production of the new iPhone devices is on track, according to EDN. Apart from the edge-to-edge OLED display, the "iPhone 8" is expected to include wireless charging, no physical Home button, and perhaps 3D facial recognition and/or iris scanning. In addition, rumors suggest that Touch ID could be embedded in or under a True Tone display.

(Via DigiTimes.)

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...

Top Rated Comments

nfl46 Avatar
112 months ago
Lol. EVERY year we hear this same report and the iPhone is released at the normal schedule.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TwoBytes Avatar
112 months ago
It's delayed already and it's not even out? Sounds like the Apple of late.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tentales Avatar
112 months ago
Hmm, if only they had a savvy supply-chain guy. Whatever happened to him?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JeffyTheQuik Avatar
112 months ago
*YAWN*

The iPhone New Dance continues...

October, year before - "I can't wait to see what's happening next year!"
January, year of launch - "The iPhone New will read your mind!"
February, year of launch - "The iPhone New will be be able to find water in the Sahara!"
March, year of launch - "The iPhone New will launch and skip the standard #/#S cycle!"
April, year of launch - "The iPhone New cool feature list will be delayed until 20xx+2!"
June, year of launch - "LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN iOS X+1!!!! It'll have a screen that is 1 pixel wider and taller!"
July, year of launch - "Every detail of iPhone New is leaked."
August, year of launch - The rumor mill goes strangely quiet.
September, year of launch - "This is the most Awesomeist iPhone EVER!" - Tim Cook. "Why didn't it have a blood testing port for diabetics, like I read on MacRumors?" - Random person
October, year of launch - "I can't wait to see what's happening next year!"
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
112 months ago
I think it's a little childish that everyone expects Apple to have enough iPhones for everyone on launch day.
Childish to expect a company to provide something they released :rolleyes:
Many other manufacturers have figured out that if they build more product prior the release day then people don't have to wait two months for it

Apple does it, as an artificial means to show how much the iPhones are in demand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fermat-au Avatar
112 months ago
Apple dodged a bullet* last year with the Galaxy Note 7... given the iPhone 7 wasn't a giant leap over the 6/6S. The Galaxy S8 looks amazing and along with the Pixel etc Apple can not afford any "technical issues" or delays with this year's iPhone.

* or should that be shrapnel
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)