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You might have to wait a bit longer for the next iPhone

You might have to wait a bit longer for the next iPhone

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Multiple reports suggest a new high-end iPhone with a radical redesign will be delayed

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iPhone 7
James Bareham

2017 marks the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, and the rumors are that Apple will be releasing three new models to celebrate: two handsets with incremental improvements, and a third, radically redesigned “premium” iPhone. But although the phones will be unveiled at the same time, customers might have to wait until later in the year to get their hands on the high-end device.

Bloomberg reports that the premium iPhone could be delayed by “one or two months” (compared to Apple’s usual launch schedule) because of the difficulty of manufacturing the handset. Japanese website Mac Otakara previously reported a similar delay.

This is because of the device’s new design, which is rumored to include a larger screen with curved edges that covers more of the front of the device — similar to that of Samsung’s Galaxy S8. Apple is also reportedly experimenting with incorporating the fingerprint sensor into the screen itself, which could contribute to the delay. Samsung tried to make this a feature of the S8 but found the implementation was too tricky, and instead put the sensor on the rear of the phone next to the camera.

Other rumored features of the premium iPhone include a new front-facing camera with 3D, depth-sensing capabilities. How exactly this will be engineered isn’t clear, but Bloomberg suggests there will be a dual-camera setup at the front; while Apple analyst KGI Ming-Chi Kuo says the system will use an infrared sensor. A 3D front-facing camera would allow for more realistic selfie filters and augmented reality masks, but there could also be applications in gaming and 3D modeling.