Reports: iPhone 8 won’t cost more than $1,000, but launch may be delayed to October or November

Problems with the iPhone 8’s 3D sensors and OLED screen lamination could delay the phone’s launch to October or November, the Economic Daily News reports [via DigiTimes]. While Apple’s new iPhones usually begin shipping in late September/early October, several reports have claimed that Apple’s extensive prototyping and desire to add new features could push production of the device to begin later than usual. This latest claim suggests that the 3D sensors rumored to be bringing depth sensing and facial recognition capabilities to the iPhone 8 have led to “technical issues.”
Regardless of when the iPhone 8 launches, UBS analysts expect it will be priced under $1,000, with the 64GB model likely to land somewhere between $850 to $900. While analyst Steven Milunovich said, “Apple customers seem fine with paying more for products they feel are differentiated,” he told CNBC that the company rarely prices its devices above its competitors high-end devices. Plenty of other analysts have claimed the OLED display, 3D sensors and embedded fingerprint sensor expected to arrive in the iPhone 8 will drive the price above $1,000, but given the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus have a 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch screen respectively, Milunovich said he thinks the company will “remain cautious on how much higher Apple could ultimately go on price given a smaller display.”