Imagine this possibility: Apple holds an iPhone event in September, unveils iterative iPhone 7s and 7s Plus upgrades shipping in 2-3 weeks, and a radically different iPhone 8 or iPhone Pro that won’t ship for another 4-6 weeks.
Even when the totally new iPhone does ship, supply is extremely constrained and only the very first pre-orders get stock before the end of the year. Would you be willing to wait it out for the dramatically different iPhone?
The possibility isn’t completely unlikely. New iPhones are always supply constrained, especially new finishes, and there’s already evidence that the OLED display models will be supply constrained before factoring demand.
Pair today’s Digitimes report that OLED iPhone production won’t start until September with earlier reports that Apple is actually starting next-generation iPhone production sooner this year and you can guess what might happen.
The OLED iPhone is expected to have a bezel-less design, Touch ID possibly integrated in the display, wireless charging, a 3D sensing front camera, and an overall larger display area in a smaller footprint. The OLED iPhone is expected to be an all-new model joining new versions of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones which will not look different.
If the radically new iPhone ships later and faces supply constraints, would you be willing to wait before upgrading?
