The demand for next year's highly anticipated iPhone 8 is expected to eclipse those for the previous versions of the device. Apple will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of its premium smartphone in 2017 and, as such, it is expected to pull out al the stops for the iPhone 8, the debut of which will mark a decade of iPhone launches.
According to 9to5Mac, a recent report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chu Kuo indicates that the three new iPhone models including the upcoming iPhone 8 expected for a 2017 release will propel an "unprecedented" demand. In a note to investors, the renowned Apple insider predicted that the new iPhone models will sell between 120 million and 150 million units in Q3 and Q4 of 2017. In contrast, between 110 million and 120 million units of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were sold in 2014. These two iPhone variants are significant in that their release marked a major iPhone redesign. The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, as Apple fans recall, were the first iPhones to have a larger display.
Kuo predicted that the radical redesign planned for the iPhone 8 series will lead to iPhone 8 sales surpassing the previous record. The Apple analyst also claimed that one of the eagerly awaited iPhone 8 models will feature an all-glass, bezel-less OLED display. While the two other iPhone 8 variants will reportedly have LCD screens instead of OLED, they may also feature the same all-glass design. All three are said to have the same internal hardware and wireless charging support, with the OLED iPhone 8 and the LCD iPhone 8 Plus models featuring dual-lens camera setups on their backs.
Tom's Guide notes that the decision to have just one iPhone 8 model feature an OLED display may be due to a shortage of OLED panels. Apple has not officially announced the rumored iPhone 8 series. The new iPhones are nonetheless expected to launch in mid-September 2017.