iPhone 8 (7s) UK release date, price and rumours: Apple to start production MUCH earlier

If you were after a Jet Black iPhone 7 last year, you'll know just how tricky it was to find. Thanks to manufacturing issues and supply shortages, the fragile, glossy black iPhone 7 beacame one of the most desirable and hard-to-get smartphones on the market. However, new predictions suggest Apple is already working hard to make sure the same situation doesn't occur with the iPhone 8, or iPhone 7s.

A new report by BlueFin Research Partners, and reported on by MacRumors, suggests that Apple will begin making the iPhone 8 earlier than usual – but states that it doesn't necessarily report to an earlier release date. The report goes on to say"

"The most intriguing data points that we have uncovered suggests that AAPL is ramping the next generation iPhones earlier than historical norms, although we have no indication that there has been any change in release plans for the iPhone 8/X.[...]

Interestingly, our present reads suggest a 300% increase in iPhone 8/X builds in the June quarter, now sitting at 9M. As a result, overall June quarter builds have increased from 45M to 48M, with the sharp increase in iPhone 8 offset somewhat by modest declines in legacy model"

Instead of changing the release date, it looks like Apple will begin production earlier, this time round, so it has more handsets available when then expected September release date does roll around,

The iPhone 7 is here, but Apple's current smartphone looks a lot like the iPhone 6s – and it doesn't add that many new features, either. Instead, rumours are suggesting the iPhone 8 or 7s will be the phone we've really been waiting for – and it's coming in 2017. So what do we know about about the next iPhone? Here we'll provide you with a one-stop roundup of all the key things you need to know about the iPhone 8 (7s), including the estimated UK release date, the new phone's specs and features – as well as any other rumours and news.

1. The next iPhone will be the 7s, not the iPhone 8

Apple tends to update the iPhone on a "tick-tock" basis. After a redesigned, evolutionary "number" model, Apple tends to release an upgraded S model with the same outward design the year after. Apple just released the iPhone 7, and that means the next smartphone from the Californian tech company should be the iPhone 7s, not the iPhone 8.

2. We pretty much know the iPhone 8 (7s) release date

Apple hasn't announced anything about the iPhone 8 (7s) yet, but we already have a good idea of when it will be released. Apple tends to stick to a pretty rigid timeframe when it comes to iPhones, and a quick look at previous iPhone release dates will give a very good idea of when the next iPhone is due. Apple tends to release an iPhone every year in the last two weeks of September, so we should see the iPhone 7 around this time next year.

3. The iPhone (8) 7s could feature wireless charging

This year the iPhone 7 debuted water-resistant capability, something already seen on Android phones for the past few years – and it's possible Apple will follow the Android crowd with another feature, too. Phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 feature wireless charging, and it's possible Apple will introduce that feature in the next iPhone. Apple tends to wait a while before introducing new technologies, and the introduction of wireless charging could provide a good incentive to get the updated iPhone.

4. The iPhone 8 (7s) should cost the same as the iPhone 7

Apple hasn't changed the price of the new iPhone recently, and that looks set to continue for the iPhone 8 or iPhone 7s. However, that doesn't mean you won't end up shelling more for the iPhone 7s: Apple may have kept the prices the same, but it's also dropped and added storage options over the iPhone range. That's forced owners to buy a smaller-capacity iPhone – or upgrade to a larger-capacity, more expensive model than before.

5. The iPhone 8 (7s) could finally use an OLED screen

For the past few years we've expected Apple to put an OLED screen in the iPhone, and now the Sharp CEO, Jeng-wu Tai, has pretty much confirmed the iPhone 8 (7s) will have one.

Late last year, Tai said: "The iPhone has been evolving and now it is switching from LTPS to OLED panel. We don't know whether Apple's OLED iPhones will be a hit, but if Apple doesn't walk down this path and transform itself, there will be no innovation. It is a crisis but it is also an opportunity." Tai is an executive at Foxconn, the parent company of Sharp, and also the people that make the iPhone – so it's very likely he's privy to some serious insider knowledge.

Source: iPhone 8 (7s) UK release date, price and rumours: Apple to start production MUCH earlier