iPhone 8 Release Date Rumors: Only 4 Million Units Might Be Shipped At Launch

Apple’s iPhone 8 nearly two months away from being revealed, but it looks like the tech giant may face a serious problem. A new report claims that OLED supplies are going to be an issue, and may result in only 3-4 million units of the iPhone 8 being available at launch.

Industry sources have predicted that shipment for the iPhone 8 could be interrupted due to yield rates at assembly plants and supply of OLED panels, according to DigiTimes. This means that shipments could end up being delayed, and may not keep up with Apple’s planned schedule.

This kind of issue is surprising considering that chips and parts for the iPhone 8 arrived early from suppliers during the second quarter of 2017. Also, iPhone assemblers Foxconn Electronics, Pegatron and Wistron are also believed to have recruited more assemblers around the same time.

“While Samsung Display has promised to fully support Apple with regards to the supply of OLED panels, only 3-4 million OLED-based new iPhone devices will be ready for shipping before the new smartphones are unveiled at a product event slated for September, said the sources.”

Samsung Display is the main supplier of OLED display panels for Apple’s iPhone 8, which is said to come with screen size of 5.8 inches. It was also previously reported that Apple already had placed an order for 80 million units of OLED panels from Samsung Display, with the goal of shipping between 50 and 60 million new OLED-equipped iPhone 8 units in 2017.

With today’s report however, it now looks like Apple might not be able to achieve that goal. There have been previous rumors that the iPhone 8 was going to be delayed due to the implementation of the in-display fingerprint sensor, but now it looks like it’s becoming a reality. Some have said that the iPhone 8’s release might even be delayed until early next year.

Apple might face iPhone 8 shortages at launch if this new report is accurate. Apple usually sells over 10 million brand new iPhone models during the opening weekend alone, as pointed out by 9To5Mac.

Apple is no stranger to supply shortages. The tech giant most recently handled shortages for its wireless AirPods, which have been in high demand ever since it was first released back in December.

There was no mention of the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus, so it seems as though those two devices haven’t been affected by this issue. The 4.7-inch iPhone 7S and 5.5-inch 7S Plus are believed to still arrive this fall, will be look very similar to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and might also be equipped with OLED displays.

The iPhone 8 is believed to arrive with a radical new design that’s expected to be nearly bezel-less with its edge-to-edge 5.8-inch OLED display. Last Friday, Steve Hemmerstoffer, also known as @OnLeaks on Twitter, shared what appears to be the final design of the iPhone 8, and it has everyone excited for it.