iPhone 8 May Not Be Fully Ready at Release

With the expected release of Apple’s AAPL 165,00 -2,04 -1,22% newest iPhone only a couple months away it may not have all the new featured ready at release. Priced at a hefty $1200 USD (and former Microsoft Microsoft Corporation 400,96 +1,84 +0,46% CEO, Steve Ballmer was criticizing the $500 USD price tag back in 2007 saying “there is no chance the iPhone is going to get any significant market share‘) the ’10th Anniversary’ edition is supposed to be packed with some big new features when it is released sometime in September. Problem is Apple seems to be having some software integration issues getting these big new features included. Some of the ‘new and improved’ features that may be not be active at release time include:

  • Wireless Charging — this is a feature the iPhone has long been lacking and would be a big selling point for the iPhone 8
  • Front facing “3D sensor” camera – which will bring unlocking via facial recognition.
  • Touch ID – while this feature has already been around since the iPhone 5s, there are issues with the placement on the all glass chassis of the iPhone 8

Touch ID is still expected to be ready by release, but the other above features and more may not be ‘active’ at the time of release. Once Apple works out the kinks they will be ‘activated’ with an iOS update. Apple did the samething with ‘Portrait Mode’ on the iPhone 7. But, wait it gets worse for Apple! They are having severe supply issues with the OLED displays that they have had to resort to purchasing OLED displays from rival Samsung SSNLF 40,60 0,00 0,00%.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S8 is priced at $724.99 USD nearly $500 USD less than the forthcoming (crippled) iPhone 8. Which brings up something else Steve Ballmer mentioned at a conference in March 2009 “The economy is helpful. Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment — same piece of hardware — paying $500 more to get a logo on it?” Though the context of that quote was about PC market share implying the extra $500 for a Mac was just for the Apple logo. Though comparing the price difference of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 versus Apple’s iPhone 8 (which may have a Samsung OLED display) it still rings true today.

via Forbes > Gordon Kelly