Apple’s new 6.1-inch LCD phone could be pushed back by a month, warns Morgan Stanley analyst
THE CHEAPEST of Apple's upcoming trio of new iPhones is facing a delay of up to one month, a top analyst is warning.
While the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch handsets are still expected to arrive around September, the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone could be pushed back to October, according to Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty.
The fault lies with the phone's LED backlight, used to light up the pixels on its screen, which is apparently suffering from leakages.
This issue usually occurs when a backlight isn't fully blocked allowing excess light to "bleed" around the edges of the LCD panel.
As a result, you'll see spots of lighter areas on a dark or black background – which is definitely a big no-no for an Apple phone expected to cost around £500-600.
"Suspected issues with LED backlight leakage have caused a 1 month delay in mass production of the 6.1" LCD iPhone, although this is down from a 6-week delay baked into the original production forecast, according to suppliers," said the analyst in a note spotted by .
Apple is, understandably, keeping mum about any apparent hitches with its budget blower.
But it seems the company anticipated production with the new iPhone, with its suppliers (which make the handset's components, from batteries to screens) informing Huberty the four week setback is down from a six week delay.
Any hiccups in mass-production will inevitably impact sales when the new device launches later this year – in a worst-case scenario, Apple may not have enough iPhones to meet demand.
But that's something it could avoid by simply releasing the phone after its pricier counterparts – the same way it released the iPhone 8 last September, following it up with the iPhone X in November.
Apple is planning on releasing three new, currently untitled, iPhones this year. They include a 5.8-inch iPhone X follow-up, a 6.5 inch iPhone X Plus, and the more affordable handset (which could come in up to seven colours).
Most read in tech
The cheaper model lacks the premium specs of its pricier siblings, with an LCD screen instead of a sharper OLED display and just one camera instead of a rumoured two on the other devices.
Which of Apple's three rumoured iPhones do you like the sound of? Let us know in the comments.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.