Apple patrons who are planning to buy or upgrade their iPhones to the latest iPhone X may have difficulty doing so when it launches next month. A new report claims the premium device will not be readily available this year due to production issues, ultimately pushing the so-called "supercycle" in 2018.
A supercycle, according to SlashGear, is a long period of financial growth for the company. The Cupertino-based company is expected to go into overdrive mode this year due to the release of the upcoming Apple flagship smartphone, the iPhone X. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities, claims that may not happen until next year.
The tech giant has apparently been struggling with the production of the TrueDepth camera system, which accurately scans a person's face to unlock the phone. This means the smartphone could be released in limited quantities.
Although there is a high demand expected when the phone is released in November, Apple might not be able to address the production issues immediately. Instead, it may be resolved by the end of the year, with shipments picking up strongly in the first half of next year.
Kuo also believes that iPhone units unveiled in 2018 will enjoy a longer sales period than those launched in 2017, with next year's lineup likely to retain many of the iPhone X's appealing features.
iPhone X aside, another interesting tidbit from the report says the fourth-quarter sales of the iPhone 8, which was released last month, will be better than expected. However, the device will probably be overshadowed come November when the iPhone X hits the market shelves.
The iPhone X will start at $999 and will have two storage options: 64 gigabytes (GB) and 256 GB. Some of its new features that are not available on previous models include wireless charging, the Face ID that replaces the Touch ID, and the animojis.
Pre-orders for the iPhone X will start on Oct. 27, and the device will be released on Nov. 3.
