All may not be well in Apple land as a noted analyst claims that the company is going to delay the launch of its budget 6.1-inch LCD iPhone AKA iPhone 9 to October. We’ve heard such rumors before, as well as rebuttals to those rumors.
Like those other reports, Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty is blaming production problems for the postponement. The entry-level iPhone has adopted the notch design of the iPhone X, but not its OLED screen. This has complicated matters significantly since LCD doesn’t bend as well as OLED, which means that bezel-less look is harder to achieve.
iPhone 9 Production Problems
Apple has managed it though, using an innovative backlighting technique. The only problem is, it seems a leakage issue is causing a month’s delay in mass production. Suppliers say it could have been worse since they were initially expecting a 6-week delay.
Going by this chain of events, the 5.8-inch iPhone X and 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will get launched and released in September. The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone is likely going to arrive in September like its siblings, but won’t hit stores until October.
Also See: iPhone X Plus case renders surface online
This isn’t as bad as last year though. To recall, the iPhone X came out in November, a move which may have hit its momentum a bit. The handset is apparently getting the ax this year. Speculation suggests it’s because of poor sales, but it’s probably because the device’s sequel is going to be $100 cheaper anyway.
It’s not clear how a delay could affect the iPhone 9. The phone is expected to be the most affordable option this year and come in a variety of colors. These two factors alone could help it tide over any holdup since consumers will almost certainly be willing to wait for it.