Here’s the iPhone 8 bottleneck that could delay the launch of Apple’s next flagship device, according to AppleInsider.
According to Cowen and Company’s Timothy Arcuri, yield issues remain for Cupertino’s next flagship device due to production difficulties with the new Touch ID.
In a note to investors, the analyst writes:
For the 5.8-inch OLED version, the biggest bottleneck remains integrating an under-glass fingerprint sensor into the display— the current yield rate of Apple’s in-house AuthenTec solution remains low and AAPL seems unwilling to use other vendors’ products.
It’s rumored that the iPhone 8 (or “iPhone Edition“) will be the first Apple handset not to include a physical home button. Instead, the smartphone may introduce a “function area” built into the glass.
According to Arcuri, if yields don’t improve, Apple could be left with three choices:
The first option, which he admits is unlikely is to ditch Touch ID and rely solely on facial recognition.
Apple could instead move Touch ID to the backside of the phone, as competing fingerprint scanners do, but Arcuri said this is not user friendly.
Finally, Apple could delay production, but announce the handset alongside the “iPhone 7s” series.
The first option is almost certainly the least likely to happen. The second and third choices, however, have already been discussed by various analysts in recent weeks as possible outcomes.
I would rather have the iPhone 8 launch slightly delayed than see the device’s fingerprint scanner moved to the back of the phone.
What are your thoughts? Let us know using the comments below.
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