A report from KeyBanc Captial Markets suggests that Apple is still struggling to implement its Touch ID system in the iPhone 8, and it may only have weeks to fix it. According to Andy Hargreaves and his colleagues John Vihn and Josh Becks, the company’s earnings estimates could be at risk if a solution isn’t found soon.
The information allegedly comes from the supply chain and could result in a delayed release. In the report, Hargreaves states:
“Apple continues to struggle with the workaround for the fingerprint sensor. This increases the potential that the new OLED iPhone could be delayed, or ship without a fingerprint sensor, either of which could increase risk to unit sales and mix for the cycle.”
The Facial Recognition Route
The cut-off date has been calculated through the time it would take Apple to place the orders for fingerprint sensor chips. KeyBanc estimates that it would take 12 weeks from the placement of those orders until full production. To release in time, Apple would have to place orders before August.
Without a sensor, key features like Apple Pay, and facial recognition is much more cumbersome. However, Hargreaves believes that a delay until mid-November wouldn’t cause any serious damage. After then, the unit volume could be “seriously affected”.
Other manufactorers are working on similar tech under OLED screens, including Qualcomm, Vivo, and Microsoft. However, that technology won’t hit the shelves until next year, so Apple would be early if it can resolve those issues in time. Whatever the case, it’s going to be a close call for the iPhone retailer.
It joins rumors that the iPhone 8’s wireless charger will be delayed and therefore sold seperately. Both pieces of information are yet to be confirmed, but it’s looking like a close call for the iPhone retailer.
