iPhone 8 Mass Production Will Kick Off In Mid-September
Production of the iPhone 8 will start in mid-September, according to a recently surfaced analyst's research note, with the anticipated handset launching alongside the iPhone 7s next month. Though the anniversary edition of the iPhone 8 will be available at the same time as the iPhone 7s models, it is tipped that quantities of the OLED model will be very limited initially at only 2 to 4 million units.
The information comes from Apple Insider, which says it acquired a research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an excellent track record when it comes to anticipating Apple's plans. It is expected that Apple will introduce a total of three phones next month, the two iPhone 7s models, plus the phone that is mostly being referred to as the iPhone 8 (though some are calling it the iPhone Pro).
This phone is expected to feature an OLED display and possibly wireless charging, among other things, as well as a price tag that hits or exceeds the $1000 price point. However, rumors have been circling for months claiming troubles behind closed doors that could result in Apple postponing the handset's launch. As we near September, though, sources are increasingly stating that Apple will be launching the phone on time, though you may have to wait a bit before actually get ahold of the model.
Per Kuo, the iPhone 8 will launch with three color options: gold, black and silver. The analyst indicates that the wireless charging rumors are correct, though the feature will supposedly be available in all three models, not just the anniversary edition. As well, the production bottleneck should be corrected quickly with available units reaching up to 50 million by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 8 will be joined by the smaller iPhone 7s and the larger iPhone 7s Plus. Both of these phones are said to already be in mass production, and they will be available in the three aforementioned colors. Whereas the iPhone 8 is anticipated to feature an edge-to-edge OLED display, the iPhone 7s models will have an LCD display and will resemble the current iPhone 7 handsets.
SOURCE: Apple Insider
The image above is a trio of iPhone 8 concepts from Max Rudberg; find out more about them here.