IPhone 8 sales delay is trouble: Analyst

Even though there is no confirmation as of now, the iPhone is most certainly going to be delayed and while Apple will present the anniversary model on September 12, it won’t go on sale sooner than October of this year.

However, according to Bernstein analyst Tony Sacconaghi, Apple cannot afford to hold back the super flagship iPhone 8 for very long because the Cupertino giant is already under thin ice and the more it delays the release, the bigger the chances become for more phone users to switch sides.

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 the sales of the anniversary iPhone model.

“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.

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.