iphone8

The iPhone 8 is likely to be announced in September 2017, marking 10 years since the firm launched its first smartphone.

However, one report claims that it might not be available to buy until the fourth quarter, noting that the iPhone 8 may be available in limited quantity only. A note by analyst Timothy Arcuri from Cowen and Company has added weight to this and claims that production could be delayed due to issues with its Touch ID sensor.

Another report suggests the iPhone 8 may not arrive until 2018. A research Deutsche Bank, picked up by Business Insider, claims the smartphone won't make it onto shelves this year due to supply chain issues and "technical challenges".

As if just to confuse matters more, Digitimes is reporting that mass production of the iPhone 8 is on schedule and that the smartphone will see a release in October.

Price
If it's anything like Apple's new MacBooks, next year's iPhone will be more expensive than this year's release, and some are claiming that the highest-spec model will be the first iPhone to cost more than $1,000.

A new report at Forbes claims that pricing could start at an eye-watering $1,100 to $1,200, with Apple to offer the handset in 128GB and 256GB configurations only.

Rumoured specs

• 5.8in 2.5D OLED edge-to-edge display
• New design with an 'all-glass' construction
• 71x143x7.4mm
• Wireless charging support
• Apple A11 chip
• Rear-facing Touch ID sensor
• iOS 11 with improved Siri, P2P payments
• Face-scanning technology
• Vertical dual cameras on rear
• Support for LTE speeds up to 450Mbps