Investing.com - Rumors are swirling that Apple Inc\'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 8 release will face delays. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple encountered manufacturing problems that will delay the company’s smartphone production by at least a month.
Anonymous sources reportedly told The Wall Street Journal that the delay is related to the production of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels for the new smartphones while the company also faced difficulty embedding the Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the new OLED-based display for the iPhone 8, and the company ultimately abandoned attempts to integrate Touch ID into the screens.
While these reports have not been confirmed by Apple, analysts are already starting to weigh in on what the impact could be to Apple’s business. A Bernstein analyst told CNBC that a significant delay could result in Apple customers purchasing another device. Tony Sacconaghi thinks customers will tolerate up to a three-week delay on the premium iPhone model. If the iPhone release is delayed into 2018 then Apple could lose out on holiday shoppers looking for a new phone.
Apple\'s shares were fractionally lower Thursday afternoon.