Apple Postpones iPhone 8 September Launch Due To Relocation Of Fingerprint Sensor

It’s been said before, and it’s now being said again. Apple will unlikely debut its 10th anniversary iPhone dubbed as the iPhone 8 this September. Instead, the company is believed to be holding a different launch event for its first OLED phone in November.

On Thursday, industry sources told South Korean publication The Investor that U.S. tech giant Apple has apparently postponed its plan of unveiling the iPhone 8 this September. Samsung’s biggest rival will likely unveil the bezel-less handset two months later. This means Apple could be holding a different launch event for the iPhone 8, since its September event will push through to showcase its two other iPhone installments for this year’s lineup.

“Apple’s top brass recently approved the September launch of two LCD models, but the OLED iPhone launch is likely to be delayed to November,” an official from Apple’s Korean supplier said. Apple, on the other hand, is still mum on the issue and has yet to confirm anything related to its 2017 iPhones and hardware releases.

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Meanwhile, the Korean official claimed that Apple is delaying the launch of its first OLED iPhone due to the relocation of the device’s fingerprint sensor. Apple has hit a roadblock while working on a solution that would allow it to embed the fingerprint scanner into the phone’s display panel. As a result, the Cupertino giant has abandoned its plan of launching a flagship iPhone with a screen-embedded fingerprint reader.

Because Apple now has no means of combining the fingerprint sensor with the OLED display, it is in the process of thinking of a new way to still include the biometric sensor with the iPhone 8. Given the situation, the production schedule of Apple’s suppliers has been delayed.

“The iPhone’s rear design has not yet been finalized. We are still awaiting Apple’s final decision before shipping parts,” the Korean official said. Examining the statement closely, this could be hinting at the idea that Apple will most likely place the fingerprint sensor at the back of the iPhone 8, just like what Samsung did to the Galaxy S8 and its upcoming Galaxy Note 8 phablet.

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Since Apple is still undecided on what to do with the fingerprint scanner, its sole supplier of OLED panels for the iPhone 8, Samsung Display, is currently manufacturing the smartphone screens at a limited capacity. “The fact that Samsung’s manufacturing lines are not running at full capacity at the moment hints at the delay of the OLED iPhone launch,” another industry source disclosed.

The idea that Apple could be delaying the iPhone 8’s launch is not new at all. Back in April, Tom’s Guide reported — citing China’s Economic Daily News — that certain technical issues were plaguing the production of Apple’s first OLED smartphone. Given the latest word from industry sources, earlier reports about the possible delay could turn out to be true after all. Nevertheless, the best thing that expectant fans can do for now is to wait for official announcement from Tim Cook’s company.