Will the Apple iPhone 8 arrive sooner than expected?

Apple is known for sticking with its timetable for production and releases of its products. But as the Cupertino giant celebrates 10 years of its famous smartphone this year, the company could also be making some changes with regard to the production of its upcoming iPhones. New information from a research firm is now suggesting that Samsung’s biggest rival could start production of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus earlier than the usual.

On Monday, boutique research firm BlueFin Research Partners wrote about a strong indication that Apple could be commencing production of its new iPhones earlier than expected. “Early indication AAPL trying to pull in next generation iPhone builds as much as possible,” the firm wrote, according to Barron’s Tech Trader Daily. “The most intriguing data points that we have uncovered suggests that AAPL is ramping the next generation iPhones earlier than historical norms.” The firm now believes that production will ramp up in June, which is earlier than the usual.
Despite the possible change in Apple’s production timetable, BlueFin noted that there is no credible information to prove that Apple could be moving the release of the iPhone 8 models to an earlier date. “We have no indication that there has been any change in release plans for the iPhone 8/X,” the firm explained. BlueFin also mentioned the decrease in production of the current iPhones — iPhone 7, 7 Plus and SE — as a clear sign that Apple is already preparing for the launch of its new iPhones.

According to MacRumors, the earlier production will be beneficial to Apple as this would give the company enough time to improve yield rates and address manufacturing problems should any surface along the way. On the whole, this move is expected to ensure that Apple will have better supply of its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus smartphones by the time they are officially launched to the public this September.

As previously reported, Apple is skipping iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus to release the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in celebration of the smartphone series’ 10th anniversary. Just like the current models, the new iPhones will not come with the 3.5mm audio jack. There are also rumors of a significant redesign on the device’s display that would make it stand out from its competitors.