September iPhone 8 Release Expected After Apple Resolves Production Issues

This year’s flagship iPhone might arrive in time for a September release as manufacturers and assemblers have resolved production bottlenecks and ramp-up issues, according to a new supply chain report. Motherboard substrate makers Zhen Ding and Kinsus Interconnect have worked out their respective production problems and are preparing to ramp up production in June, according to an early Monday report by the Economic Daily News. Long-time Apple partner TSMC is also preparing to begin mass production of the A11 chip — also in June — and will deliver the chips in volume to assemblers by the second half of July.

Battery supplier Simplo Technology is also gearing up for the upcoming Apple flagship. In addition, the report states that iPhone assemblers Foxconn Electronics, Pegatron and Winstron have begun the surge hiring process. This, in addition to providing the required training for new hires, will allow all three assemblers to have an adequate workforce in time for the iPhone 8’s (or iPhone Edition’s) production ramp-up, the Economic Daily News reported.

This new information does fly in the face of previous reports from DigiTimes and renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, among others. Both of those sources suggested earlier this year that the flagship iPhone 8 would not be ready to ship in time for a traditional Apple September release, owing to new technologies and production bottlenecks. It’s worth noting that Kuo later amended that prediction on April 24 — stating that the iPhone 8 would indeed be unveiled in September, but would face “severe supply shortages” at launch

The new supply chain reports out of China today seem to amend those April predictions even further. While they don’t exactly contradict Kuo’s latest prediction, they do seem to indicate that the Apple supply chain is fixing its production issues — and that there’s a higher chance that the iPhone 8 will indeed be released during the normal September timeframe.

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