iPhone 8 release date, specs and price: 'Production glitch' could cause delays and stock shortages

THE LONG AWAITED iPhone 8 is officially launching in just over a week.

The smartphone, tipped by some to arrive as the 'iPhone Edition' or 'iPhone X' will be Apple's 10th-anniversary smartphone and looks set to be the first to debut wireless charging tech, a curved AMOLED display and an unusual vertical dual rear-facing camera. If rumours are correct, the so-called 'Edition' will launch alongside the less-impressive iPhone 7S and 7s plus

We've rounded up everything we know about the iPhone 8 so far and will update this article as soon as we hear more.

Release date
The iPhone 8 will be officially unveiled on 12 September. Apple has sent out invites (below) to a launch event in its newly-built Steve Jobs Theatre on its new campus, where it's also expected to unveil the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus.

Naturally, Apple will stream the event on its website, and it's expected to kick off at 6pm UK time.

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Despite the iPhone 8's imminent launch event, some reports claim that it might not be available to buy until the fourth quarter, and in limited quantities. 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 note from 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".

However, German website Macerkopf claims that pre-orders of all the three 2017 iPhone models, including the iPhone 8, will begin on 15 September. Previous leaks suggest that it will arrive on shelves a week later on 22 September.

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

More recently, Twitter tipster Benjamin Geskin has claimed that the entry-level 64GB iPhone 8 will fetch $999 (around £775), while 256GB and 512GB variants will fetch $1,099 (£850) and $1,119 (£930).

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