More and more analysts, including insiders with accurate track records at predicting Apple’s moves, expect the iPhone 8 to be unveiled this fall alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. But that’s where the good news ends, because they all seem to think Apple will delay the actual release of the new phone by several months. A recent series of research notes said the iPhone 8 could be delayed for up to two months, and Apple might not launch it until some point in November.
If you hated those reports, then you’re surely not going to like the new one that popped up on Tuesday, which says Apple might not release the iPhone 8 at all this year.
The bad news comes from Deutsche Bank, which sent a new note to investors on Sunday, according to Business Insider.
“Report suggests no new iPhone 8 this calendar year,” the analysts wrote. “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.”
The note Deutsche Bank refers to is a story from ValueWalk, which said last week that sources close to Foxconn stated Apple won’t be releasing the iPhone 8 this year. While we can’t expect any official comment from Apple on such rumors, the ValueWalk report is based on an apparent lack of orders for packaging materials.
The same report said that the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will arrive on schedule, as the packaging materials for these devices will be delivered in June.
So far, ValueWalk and Deutsche Bank’s reports are the only ones that suggest there might not be an iPhone 8 launch this year. What seems to be more than clear at this point, however, is that Apple’s next flagship is facing some kind of delay. Whether that delay is one month or several months remains to be seen.
