苹果的iPhone 8可能因为供应链问题延期发布

美国银行美林证券的分析师沃姆希·莫汉和斯特凡诺·帕斯卡尔在上周三的备忘录中告知投资者，传闻中的苹果旗舰智能机iPhone 8可能会因为“技术问题”延期三到四周。美国全国广播公司财经频道之前报道了他们的备忘录，他们表示苹果“正在处理”与供应商合作伙伴的问题。之前传闻苹果考虑在9月给手机开发布会，但目前分析师认为这款手机可能会推迟到10月发布。

分析师造访了苹果的供应链，并表示他们的制造合作商没法让iPhone的指纹传感器和3D扫描技术正常工作。据说，指纹传感器将集成在屏幕上，而不是像之前一样，位于手机正面的物理按钮之上，这在苹果产品中尚属首次。3D扫描技术可用于确认身份，只需要扫描用户的脸，就能让他们使用iPhone的应用。

苹果今年可能会推出三款新的iPhone机型，相关传闻已经有了几个月。其中两款可能是iPhone 7s和iPhone 7s Plus，它们对去年iPhone 7和iPhone 7 Plus进行了小幅升级。第三款据信是iPhone 8。它可能会有完全不同的设计，包括全玻璃机架，其屏幕可能会几乎完全覆盖机身正面。

苹果选择的屏幕迫使他们考虑把指纹传感器和3D扫描放在屏幕上。据说，这种新设计会淘汰屏幕下方的区域，而在之前版本的iPhone上，指纹传感器正是位于此处。苹果需要使用3D扫描和指纹传感器来鉴定用户，给他们开放应用的使用权，并让用户利用移动支付服务Apple Pay付款。

分析师并未提到苹果和供应商将在何时解决iPhone的问题，也没说苹果是否设立了预计的发布日期。

然而，供应链的问题致使分析师把苹果2017财年的iPhone销量预期下调到了2.081亿部，之前他们预测的出货量是2.191亿部。（财富中文网）  

译者：严匡正

Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts Wamsi Mohan and Stefano Pascale told investors in a note on Wednesday that Apple's rumored flagship smartphone, the iPhone 8, could be delayed between three and four weeks due to "technology issues." The analysts, whose note was earlier reported on by CNBC, said that Apple is "working through" the problems with its supplier partners. Apple has been rumored to be considering a September release for the smartphone. The analysts now suggest the smartphone could be released in October.

According to the analysts, who visited the Apple supply chain, its manufacturing partners are having trouble getting the iPhone's fingerprint sensor and 3D-scanning technology working. The fingerprint sensor is said to be the first from Apple that would be integrated into its screen instead of added to a physical button that previously sat on the front of the smartphone. The 3D-scanning technology would be used to verify a person's identity and allow him or her access to the iPhone's software by scanning his or her face.

Apple has been rumored for months to be working on three new iPhones this year. Two of those handsets, believed to be known as the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, will offer minor updates over last year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The third, believed to be known as iPhone 8, could come with a completely different design featuring an all-glass chassis. It could also have a screen that nearly entirely covers its face.

The iPhone maker's screen choice has forced Apple to consider the display-based fingerprint sensor and 3D scanner. The new design will reportedly eliminate the area below the screen where the fingerprint sensor has been located in earlier iPhones. Apple then needs to use the 3D scanner and fingerprint sensor to authenticate users for access to the handset's software, as well as make payments with its mobile-payment service Apple Pay.

The analysts didn't say when Apple and its suppliers might be able to fix the iPhone's problems. They also didn't say whether Apple has set an expected release date.

However, the supply chain problems caused them to cut their iPhone sales forecasts for Apple's 2017 fiscal year to 208.1 million. The analysts had anticipated 219.1 million iPhone shipments during the period.