California-based tech giant, Apple is preparing for the big launch of its next generation phone, the iPhone 8 next week. The phone is set to be released on 12th September, and will also coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the lucrative model.
It is expected that sales will begin 10 days after the press conference at the launch of the iPhone 8. However, various reports have revealed that the “production glitches” in the new model might just be a reason behind further delay in shipping and sales.
According to different reports, Apple face problems in the manufacturing of their new OLED display, which could erupt more problems for the big tech giant. It will thus be harder for Apple to meet the demand of the iPhone 8 sets, after it will be available for purchase on 22nd September. Moreover, if the supply is limited, it could hurt the impact sales of the most-awaited phone of the year.
It seems that the new OLED display’s compatibility for Apple’s Touch ID with fingerprint sensors, has been a problem for Apple. It had planned to place the touch sensor beneath the screen, as it decided against continuing the conventional Home button on the front. After plenty of thinking, the California-based firm decided against the fingerprint scanner, which now means that the iPhone 8 could only be unlocked through typical passwords or probably by the new speculated 3D facial recognition technology.
The new OLED display sported by Apple is more error-prone, as it is difficult to manufacture
Moreover, the new OLED display model has also been a very big problem for Apple according to sources. It is reported that those type of displays are being manufactured by a Samsung partner, but the manufacturing process of that OLED display is different than the one Samsung uses for its OLED displays. In Samsung devices, the display and touch panel are combined, while the OLED display set aside for the iPhone has the touch panel on the outside. The difference is obtained by multiple different manufacturing steps, including more layers of protective film. According to reports, the process used for Apple has more chances of manufacturing errors.
This means that the manufacturing of Apple’s iPhone by contractor Foxconn, which operates in China, will have to find a new solution to get it more error-free, which will thus delay the sales of more iPhone 8 units. Foxconn has increased the production of the iPhone 8 at its plants, and has vowed to increase more workers, while they also offered bonuses to employees who would get new workers to increase production. It was further confirmed by a Foxconn executive, that the OLED displays are difficult to manufacture, and that the new iPhone models will not be cheap.
The iPhone 8 will be released on September 12 at a price of $1,000. However, a delay in shipping might discourage the buyers to splash that much cash on a phone which they will not immediately get. Moreover, the rumours about its display might also discourage the potential buyers of the phone, as they can not test the display in the short testing time.
Moreover, Apple stock opened Thursday at $162.09, but fell as low as $160.87, after the reports were circulated. It has since then rose slightly, but not to the original high. On the other hand, Apple are yet to comment on the report.
