Apple’s iPhone event is almost here, but more and more reports say that the best iPhone coming this year isn’t going to be found in stores until sometime in October. Apple is so far behind on iPhone 8 production that the phone isn’t expected to hit stores on September 22nd, when the iPhone 7s should start selling.
At least three distinct reports from various sources mentioned the delayed iPhone 8 launch, including Macotakara, The Wall Street Journal, and TechCrunch. iPhone fans looking to spend at least $1,000 on Apple’s best ever iPhone will have to wait a while longer. And Apple will likely have to deal with one other problem, the Journal explained.
If Apple can’t deliver the iPhone 8 in its September quarter, it may not hit its guidance. The company said in July that it expects to report $49 billion to $52 billion in revenue for the quarter ending on September 30th. But that might not happen without an iPhone 8 to boost iPhone sales for the period. Some analysts expected Apple to sell up to 5 million iPhone 8 units during the September quarter.
Furthermore, the lower iPhone 8 supply may also impact Apple’s crucial holiday quarter. That’s usually Apple’s record quarter each year, and it used to be a record-breaking quarter overall. The iPhone 8 should still drive huge iPhone sales and revenue during the Christmas quarter, but Apple may be facing issues meeting its expectations for the period.
The Journal already said that analysts and investors could dial back their iPhone sales projections for the holiday quarter, which would impact Apple stock. On the other hand, what analysts don’t seem to take into account is the fact iPhone 8 demand won’t just die because Apple can’t ship the phone on time, and it’s likely that many iPhone enthusiasts will wait it out.
Apple will tell us everything we need to know about the iPhone 8’s launch next Tuesday when it unveils the new iPhones during a press conference to be held on its new campus.
