There's gonna be a lot of people in tears when they realize they won't get an iPhone X until 2018
It's gonna be really, really hard to get an iPhone X this holiday season.
Several reports prior to the iPhone X's announcement already warned of extreme supply shortages, but things might be even worse than we all thought.
Pre-orders for the all-screen iPhone X start on Oct. 27 and the phone launches on Nov. 3. If Apple's servers don't crash (and they will), you'll have your phone on launch day.
But if you're an eager fan who doesn't manage to get a pre-order in, or you're not crazy enough to wait days in front of an Apple Store to be one of the first to get it, you might not get one until next year.
In his latest report, KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an great track record reporting on Apple products, says he expects Apple to ship fewer iPhone X smartphones than previously projected.
"Due to supply constraints, we expect market demand won't be fully met before 1H18," Kuo wrote in his report sent to MacRumors.
Another reason Apple's launching the iPhone X so late is because it reportedly doesn't want to cannibalize sales for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which will be available on Sept. 22.
iPhone fans shouldn't be surprised by the revised forecast. Like clockwork, every new iPhone is challenging to purchase every year, especially if you don't get a pre-order in. Whether from upgraders, hypebeasts, or switchers from Android or another platform, demand always outstrips supply.
Things are worse for the iPhone X primarily because Apple's using new OLED displays, which are manufactured by Samsung Display. Compared to LCDs, yield rates on OLED screens aren't as high, and with only one manufacturer -- Apple's looking into others like LG to help ramp up production -- you can only pump out so many at a time.
So, brace yourself. You just might have to survive this long, dark winter without the best, most powerful iPhone yet. It'll suck, but just think about how much you'll save by not blowing $1,000 on an iPhone.
Repeat after me: It'll be OK. It'll be OK.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
