Apple's iPhone 8 Will Not Be Released In 2017, Deutsche Bank Analysts Predict

Previous reports have speculated that Apple’s iPhone 8 is going to be delayed, but no one knew exactly for how long. Now, a group of analysts has released a research note suggesting that the next-generation flagship iPhone might not be released in 2017.

“Report suggests no new iPhone 8 this calendar year,” analysts from Deutsche Bank wrote, according to Business Insider. “As we have written in previous [research notes], several supply chain reports have suggested that key component shortages and technical challenges could delay the release of a high-end iPhone 8 device this fall. We believe this report further underscores the uncertainty around the timing of Apple’s next-generation iPhone model.”

Just last week, sources close to the manufacturing company Foxconn said that Apple will only place orders for the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 7s Plus, the two updated versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The source also said that packaging for the iPhone 7s/7s Plus will be arriving in the last week of June further confirming both of the devices' September release dates, as first reported by ValueWalk.

ValueWalk isn’t really the most reliable source for breaking news on Apple, so there’s a possibility that its source is wrong or just highly inaccurate. However, Deutsche Bank analysts now believe that its report might be true and that the OLED iPhone 8 might not be out until 2018.

This isn’t the first time that a report has come out claiming that Apple will delay the release of the iPhone 8. Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst and reliable source for all things Apple, stated last week that the iPhone 8 will face delays because of “increased production difficulty.” However, he still believes that the next-generation handset will still be announced alongside the iPhone 7S/7S Plus this September and will be released a little later in October or November.

Bloomberg’s report from April 18 also suggested that the iPhone 8 will be delayed for one or two months after it’s unveiling this fall. The report cites that the delay will be caused by “supply restraints.”

The iPhone 7S/7S Plus are supposed to launch alongside the iPhone 8, but now there’s no clear sign that that would be the case. The iPhone 7s/7s Plus will only see incremental upgrades from the 7/7Plus, while rumors suggest that Apple is planning a lot of far more ambitious features for the iPhone 8.

The iPhone 8 is believed to be Apple’s first ever model to come with an OLED display. Previous iterations of the iPhone and even the upcoming iPhone 7s/7s Plus, all come with an LCD display. Alleged photos of the dummy model of the iPhone 8 has already leaked online showing of its edge-to-edge display and highly reflective stainless steel frame.

The photos also showed that the iPhone 8’s dual-camera setup is now placed vertically on the left side of its back. The reason why the camera setup is different is because Apple is said to be working on placing advanced augmented reality features on the upcoming next-generation flagship iOS device.